Flirting with Disaster
by NyteRock
Summary: AU, all human. The girls meet their dream guys and it seems like things might just be perfect. But when James, an old friend of Edward’s with a disturbing criminal background, comes into town and fixates on Bella, things get complicated. And dangerous.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer:_**

I don't own them. I'm just using them for my own fun and games. : )

_**Summary:**_

AU. BxE, AxJ, RxEm

The girls meet their dream guys and it seems like things might just be perfect. But when James, an old friend of Edward's, comes into town and fixates on Bella, things get complicated. And dangerous.

This is an 'everyone falls in love' story as opposed to an 'everyone is already in love' story and I'm pretty sure someone, or multiple someone's, is going to be OOC for part or all of this little tale. Just keep an open mind and try to enjoy. : ) : ) : )

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**Bella POV**

"No. Absolutely not!" I shook my head, folding my arms across my stomach. "There is no way I'm wearing that! Especially not out in public!"

"Oh, come on, Bella. Please?" Alice begged, her lips pressing out into a pout. That pout had been known to melt men where they stood. I wasn't having it.

"There's nothing there, Alice! It's all straps and… and… what _is _that?" I fingered the leather outfit, my expression bewildered. Even if I _had _wanted to wear it, I wouldn't have known how to even begin putting it on.

"This," she explained, holding out the biggest scrap, "is what is called 'club wear'. And it's sexy." She held out the leather for me to go try on. "Come on, at least try it on. Then if you don't like it, we'll find something else."

Yeah, right. I knew better. If I tried it on, it would be the same as admitting defeat in her eyes. So I kept my arms crossed and shook my head again. "No, Alice. Find something else now."

She sighed, an exaggerated sound that let me know she thought I was being unreasonable. But she put the leather contraption back and we started searching again. We passed dresses and skirts and various other items that I couldn't even imagine putting on. There never seemed to be enough fabric to cover all the bits that needed to be covered. I shook my head again, this time to myself, wondering how I let myself be talked into this.

My birthday was this weekend and Rosalie and Alice, my two sometime irritating best friends, were damned and determined to get me out of my so-called shell and introduce me to their version of fun. They'd convinced me to go out with them this weekend, check out the club scene, maybe meet someone and have an actual date. And they both seemed to think my wardrobe lacked sufficient 'club wear' as Alice called it. I personally thought they were the ones being unreasonable.

It took almost an hour for us to make it through the entire store. Each outfit Alice picked up seemed to have less fabric then the one before it and I got quicker at dismissing the things I didn't like. Which was, namely, everything. It wasn't until after we'd left and were back in the car, heading to our next destination, that Alice explained most of the clothes had been slutty because that was where strippers usually went to get their stage outfits.

She either didn't see the glare I gave her or she ignored it. I didn't bother saying anything, knowing she'd just shrug it off and chalk it up to being willing to try.

I sulked through the rest of the day and a dozen more stores before we finally made it home. I knew she was disappointed that I hadn't liked anything even a little bit but I was kind of relieved that now I could just dig through my insufficient wardrobe and find something I was already comfortable with. After all, if it was in my closet, I'd bought it and therefore liked it.

"I wish you'd let me find you something to wear this weekend, Bella." Alice said as she unlocked the door to our apartment. We'd just recently moved out of our dorm rooms and into an apartment with Rosalie.

"I don't mind you finding me something to wear but I would like to keep my assets hidden, you know." I dropped my purse on the coffee table, glad to be rid of it. I hated carrying that thing around but when we out, I needed something to keep my wallet in. So, the purse.

Alice dropped onto the couch while I stuck a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Three minutes later I poured the contents into a large bowl and went to sit next to Alice. She hit play on the remote and I offered her the bowl, kicking my feet up on the coffee table as whatever movie was in the DVD player started.

Halfway through _Mr. and Mrs. Smith_, somewhere around ten thirty, Rosalie walked in, her heels clicking loudly on the floor. Someone was angry. The expression on her gorgeous face confirmed what her heavy footsteps had suggested. She dropped onto the couch beside us and I offered her some of the remaining popcorn. She grabbed a handful and started putting it in her mouth one piece at a time.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Alice asked, leaning forward to see around me.

She stared at the TV screen for a few minutes, finishing off her handful of popcorn, before she spoke. "Why do you guys let me date jerks?"

Uh, oh. Boy trouble. Definitely not my area of expertise. I leaned further back into the couch as Alice leaned across my lap, draping her torso across my legs to put a comforting hand on Rosalie's thigh. "What happened?"

Rosalie took a deep, calming breath and grabbed some more popcorn. "That jerk said I was too self absorbed to be dating material."

I fought not to smile, licking my lips to hide the effort. I'd met the guy she was talking about. John, I think. And while Rosalie might be self absorbed at times, this guy had narcissism down to an art.

Alice didn't even try to hide her smile. "Aw, come on, Rose. He's not exactly one to talk about being self absorbed, right?" It was eerie how we all seemed to be on the same brainwave sometimes.

Rose straightened a bit and a slight smile touched her lips. "Yeah, you're right. He did have a bit of a thing about himself, didn't he?" It didn't always take much to cheer Rosalie up.

Alice grinned and looked at me as she sat up. "I'd say so. You know he told me to grow my hair out longer because _he _didn't think girls with short hair were attractive?"

I laughed out loud and Rosalie grinned. "Really? When was this?"

Alice joined in the laughter. "A few days ago. While he was examining himself in the mirror, waiting on you to get ready."

Rosalie shook her head in amazement. She did somehow pick the most interesting guys. But, her standards were a bit higher then Alice's and tons higher then mine. Especially since I didn't really have any.

"So did you break up with him?" I asked.

Rosalie nodded, stealing another handful of popcorn before Alice put it on the coffee table. "Yeah. I couldn't take it anymore. He made me want to shoot something."

I shuddered at the thought of anyone making Rosalie mad enough to actually do harm to someone. Rosalie wasn't exactly pleasant when she was pissed. Come to think of it, neither was Alice. But I'd take the pixie before I'd take Rosalie.

"Alright, so now we're all dateless for this weekend. What do we do now?" I asked, munching on my own handful of popcorn.

Alice gave me a gentle shove to my shoulder. "It's your birthday, silly. This weekend we party and forget all about boys and their stupid issues!"

Rosalie and I laughed. "Here here." Rose said.

I shook my head and stood. "Well, on that note, I'm off to bed. If we're going out tomorrow night I need my beauty rest." I said sarcastically, playfully making fun of the both of them who ranked beauty sleep up there with breathing and eating in the necessities category.

Rosalie shoved me and Alice tried to trip me up as I tried to get away from the couch. I caught myself and stuck my tongue out at them as I turned towards my room. I was almost to my door when a hail of popcorn pelted my back and, laughing, I quickly shut my door.

"Better luck next time, girls!" I shouted through my door. I heard their answering laughter as I locked my door, not wanting them to get any cute ideas about tag teaming me in my sleep. It had happened before.

I set my alarm and crawled in bed. I had to work morning shift at the coffee shop tomorrow so I could have tomorrow night off and I needed to get some sleep, otherwise I wouldn't be doing anything after work. I turned the lights off and snuggled under the covers, falling almost immediately in a deep sleep.

**Edward POV**

I pulled into the driveway with a sigh, turning the car off and just sitting there, wondering what I had been thinking, letting Emmett set up me up on a date. Or more specifically, Emmett's friend who I didn't know and obviously didn't know me. I definitely did not like the dumb blonde type.

I leaned my head forward, pinching the bridge of my nose as I tried to force my headache to go away. I'd spent the last two hours listening to the pointless yammering of my petite, busty, clueless date. Sure, she was cute and if I'd been all about the physical, I'd have definitely taken her home and enjoyed myself. As it were, I preferred a little bit of intelligence with my bedmates and this girl was seriously lacking.

I sighed again and got out of the car, clicking the alarm on as I walked up the three steps to my front door. A short struggle with the deadbolt - the damn thing kept sticking - and the door opened up to my dark living room. I didn't bother to flip the lights on, having lived here long enough to know my way around in the dark.

I went into the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge, cracking it open and picking up the house phone. I dialed Emmett's number from memory and waited for three rings before he picked up.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Emmett was smiling, I could hear it in his voice. And it just irritated me all the more.

"Don't ever, _ever _let that friend of yours set me up again." I almost growled the words into the phone as I took a swig of beer.

Emmett cleared his throat. "Uh, who did you get set up with?"

"Jessie. I think." I winced, thinking about her bringing back my headache. I turned and dug through one of my cabinets for the Tylenol.

Emmett whistled on his end. "Damn, dude. I'm sorry. I definitely told her not to set you up with Jessie. I guess she misunderstood me."

Emmett knew the kind of girls I liked. It was why I had trusted him to let his friend know. I guess his friend hadn't listened.

"Yeah, well. I think I lost a few brain cells of my own, tonight, Em. I've had more intelligent conversations with my wall."

Emmett laughed and choked, sputtering. I guess he'd been trying to drink something. "I'm sorry, man. Hey, I'll make it up to you. We'll all go out tomorrow and I'll buy your drinks. Sound good?"

I sighed, again, taking two of the Tylenol I'd found. "Sounds like a plan. Maybe we can find someone for Jasper. That boy's been alone for too long."

"I hear that." Emmett said. "He's just too picky."

I laughed under my breath, knowing full well that Jasper's problem wasn't that he was too picky. It was that just attracted the kind of girls he didn't like. He, like me, liked a good conversation to go along with his good sex. I just had better luck. Usually.

"Alright, man. I'm gonna crash. That girl gave me a migraine." I pinched the bridge of my nose again, willing the Tylenol to work faster.

Emmett laughed. "Sorry, man. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

I nodded to myself. "Yeah. Later, man."

I put the phone back in its cradle and headed down the hall to my bedroom. I plugged my dead cell phone into the wall charger, letting the phone rest on my nightstand. After a quick shower, my headache had dulled to a slow throb, and I crawled under the covers. It took another fifteen minutes for the pain to dissipate and I was finally able to fall asleep.

When I woke the next morning, it was to my phone ringing instead of my alarm. I pulled myself up on my elbow and reached for the annoying thing, silencing the ringer before answering without even glancing at the caller ID.

"What?" Not my most polite method of answering the phone.

"Forget to set your alarm?" Jasper's amused voice woke me completely. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and cursed, jumping out of bed so quickly I barely missed banging my shins on my nightstand.

"Yeah, man. Sorry. I'll be there in twenty." I hung up on Jasper's laughter.

I dressed quickly, pulling on the jeans and t-shirt with the _Long Riders _logo on it that was my work uniform. Five minutes later and I was backing my bike out of the garage, figuring it'd get me through early morning traffic a lot faster then the Volvo would. I shrugged into my jacket and pulled my helmet over my head before hitting the road.

I made it to work with five minutes of my estimated twenty to spare, thanks to a few miles of riding on the shoulder of the highway to get around a traffic jam. I parked the bike in the back and hurried inside. I found Emmett in the employee's lounge, half asleep on the couch. He nearly jumped out of his skin when I dropped my jacket into his lap.

"Jesus, Edward! Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" he grumbled.

"If I can't, you can't." I said, grabbing the jacket and hanging it up in the closet. Mine was the only one in there today. Guess Jasper and Emmett carpooled again. They lived close enough to each other that it made more sense when Jasper didn't want to ride in. Emmett had yet to buy a bike, claiming he was waiting. For what, I didn't know, and he wouldn't tell me.

"So what's the plan tonight, Em?" I asked, slouching down on the couch next to him.

He shrugged, the movement as lazy as the rest of him. "Go out, get drunk, get laid. What else?"

I shook my head, running my fingers through my bronze hair. "We should make it a priority to get Jasper laid. We're letting our boy down."

Emmett's laughter bubbled up from his chest but barely escaped his lips. "I hear that. Alright, so plan is, go out, get drunk, get Jasper laid, then get laid ourselves."

I snorted a laugh at his brilliant planning skills. Not that I could really complain. I kind of liked the plan myself. "Alright, then." I looked up when I heard Jasper calling for us from the showroom floor. "Time to get to work, bum." I said, pushing myself up off the couch.

"Least I got here on time," he grumbled, dragging himself to his feet.

I grinned. "Fat lot of good that did you."

He saluted me with his middle finger as we walked out.

We kept busy until lunchtime and then it seemed like no one wanted to even come look at bikes. Jasper and Emmett took the opportunity to catch up on some of the paperwork necessary for running the shop while I borrowed Emmett's Jeep and went to get lunch.

I pulled up in front of the Twilight Café, Jasper's requested lunch spot, and climbed out of the Jeep. The café was about as busy as we were with the exception of the lone college student sitting on one of the couches in the back, typing furiously on a laptop balanced on his knees. Two girls were behind the counter, chatting aimlessly.

"What's Alice got planned for your birthday, Bella?" One of the girls, the taller one, asked.

The other girl was leaning against the counter with her back to me. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug, making her dark hair cascade across her back. "She wants me to go clubbing with her and Rosalie tonight." Her tone made it clear how very little she enjoyed the thought.

The other girl laughed as I walked up to the counter and nodded her head toward me. The girl who didn't like clubs, Bella, turned and froze, staring at me like a deer caught in the headlights. I arched an amused brow as I took in her expression and then let my eyes wander over the planes of her face. She was rather pretty, the lack of makeup accentuating her face rather then leaving it plain.

She recovered quickly enough and dropped her gaze to regain her composure. It sometimes bugged me when girls got tongue tied around me, my green eyes seeming to captivate them, but it was oddly cute with her. I gave a small shake of my head and offered a small smile.

"Don't like going out to clubs, huh?"

She blushed and brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face. "Um, no. Not really. What can I get you?" All business now. I was a tad bit disappointed.

I placed my three sandwich orders and paid, watching her as she went back to where I assumed the kitchen was to make the sandwiches. The other girl, a tall, leggy redhead, came over and leaned her elbows on the counter in front of me.

"Do _you _like going out to clubs?" She asked, a teasing smile on her glossed lips.

I smiled again, more then willing to do a little harmless flirting. "I love to. Me and my boys go out almost every weekend."

Her smile brightened up her face, blue eyes sparkling with barely contained mischief. "Ever go clubbing with a coffee shop girl?"

I shook my head, my gaze darting back to where the girl, Bella, had disappeared to without my consent. "No, can't say that I have. I've heard you girls are all a bunch of boring types," I said, teasing.

She gave an expression of mock offense as Bella came back with three Styrofoam boxes in hand. She set them down on the counter and studiously ignored me while she packed them up. She handed them to me with a barely audible _have a nice day_, another blush coloring her cheeks. I wondered what brought on the blush this time as I took the bag with my food.

I turned and started toward the door, tossing back a lighthearted, "Happy birthday, Bella."

The redhead giggled and I heard her tease Bella about having a crush and then a sharp smack that sounded like someone's hand meeting someone else's arm. More laughter followed me as the door shut behind me and I joined in with a chuckle as I unlocked the Jeep.

_Here we __go again, Edward, _I thought, _charming all the girls, innocent and not so much. _I shook my head to myself and headed back to the shop, food in hand. Emmett would get a kick out of this story.

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_**Good? Bad? Keep? Scrap?**_

_**Review and let me know if I should continue or scrap it.**_

_**: ) : ) : )**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer:_**

I don't own 'em. I'm just using 'em.

Thanks for the first of my reviewers. This chapter is for you guys and I do hope I didn't disappoint. : ) : ) : )

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**Bella POV**

It had been quiet all morning at work. A grand total of four people had decided they wanted coffee and paid us a visit. Not counting Rodney, of course, who was here everyday like clockwork as soon as his morning classes were over. I knew it was more because he was crushing hard over Carli and was too shy to say anything, so instead he parked it on the couch with his computer and just enjoyed being near her. Kind of sweet, really. Now if only Carli didn't go for the bad boy, biker type.

Carli and I were discussing our evening plans when she remembered that it was my birthday. I'd have been just as happy if she'd forgotten entirely and kept it that way. But, knowing my thoughts on the whole birthday wishes and gifts thing, she kept the talk simple.

"What's Alice got planned for your birthday, Bella?" She knew Alice well enough to know exactly how much that girl liked to plan things. Parties, outings, whatever. If it could be planned to any extravagance , Alice wanted to do it.

I shrugged, shifting my weight against the counter behind me. "She wants me to go clubbing with her and Rosalie tonight." I could feel the disgusted look on my face, even if my tone hadn't given away my dislike of the whole damn idea. I wasn't the social butterfly my friends were and I was content to keep it that way. But, in the words of Alice, it was my twenty-first and I had to let loose. At least once. Hence, clubbing.

Carli laughed and her pretty blue eyes flicking over my shoulder a second before she nodded to let me know we had a customer. I hadn't heard the door open but then again, I'd been distracted. I turned and started to offer a polite, welcoming smile when I met the most gorgeous pair of green eyes imaginable and froze, my body halting every action, including breathing, just to be able to focus entirely on what my gaze held.

It took me a full five seconds before I even noticed the face that went with the eyes and the highly amused expression that covered it. I dropped my gaze immediately, feeling a blush starting to creep up my neck.

"Don't like going out to clubs, huh?" he asked, a politely interested tone to his voice.

The blush that I had been fighting washed across my face. I brushed back the hair that was trying to fall into my face and took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. And maybe stop acting like I was back in junior high again.

"Um, no, not really. What can I get you?" Focus on business and maybe he won't notice how much of an idiot I was being. I took his order quickly and swiped his credit card through the machine, handing it back with the receipt before making a beeline for the kitchen. I could very easily make his sandwiches with the supplies behind the counter but I needed a minute to reign in my embarrassment.

Back in the kitchen I spent a few minutes kicking myself. It wasn't even that I had noticed how good looking he was and fallen head over heels in love with him. That would have been just as bad, but at least it would have been slightly logical. No, I'd stared into his eyes and lost myself in a color I didn't think human's could possess, as though I were hypnotized or something equally silly. And worse, he'd noticed.

As I made his food my overactive imagination pictured those striking eyes hovering over me and I blushed harder then ever before, standing frozen for a minute. I could not believe I'd just daydreamed about sex with him. I'd never daydreamed about sex with anyone outside of movie stars. Oh my god, what was _wrong _with me?

I packed up the sandwiches and returned to find Carli flirting shamelessly with him. I blew out a small, relieved breath that his attention was focused on her and put his food into a bag. He looked up at me as I handed the bag over the counter, muttering _have a nice day_ under my breath, for politeness sake. As soon as I saw his eyes again my blush returned in full force, my brain reminding me of my brief - and completely uncalled for - daydream a few minutes ago.

As he turned toward the door I sagged against the counter, ignoring Carli's amusement in favor of trying to cool my face off. I heard Mr. Gorgeous Eyes call, "Happy birthday, Bella," over his shoulder and about died.

Carli giggled. "Does Bella have a crush?"

I reached out and smacked the back of my hand against her bare arm, glaring daggers at her. She just laughed, completely unfazed. This was why her and Alice got along so well. They both loved to pick on me and both found my glares and stammering amusing. Some friends I had.

"What's wrong, Bella? A little hunk of delicious man-meat too much for your innocent eyes?" Would the teasing never end?

I shook my head, picking up a damp rag and wiping down the already clean counter. "Shove it, Carli. And I'm not even going to _begin _to explain how wrong what you said sounded. Delicious hunk of man-meat?"

She shrugged and laughed again. "Aw, come on, Bella. You should have at least flirted. He was totally checking you out."

I stopped wiping and looked over my shoulders at her. "No, he was checking _you _out. You and that amazing amount of cleavage you show off even under a t-shirt."

Carli shook her head and snatched the rag from me to stop my incessant cleaning. "Hardly. He never once looked at my chest. I was pleasantly surprised." Her tone turned distant and I could only imagine what else she wanted to be pleasantly surprised about with him.

"Just do me a favor and don't mention this to Alice. Or Rosalie for that matter. I'd never hear the end of it." I pleaded with my eyes for Carli to listen to me, just this once. The mischievous gleam in her pretty eyes told me I was doomed and Alice would know before the end of the day. Great. Just freakin' perfect.

**Edward POV**

I relayed my tale of my two new friends to Emmett as soon as I got back, tossing his keys back to him as I set out lunch. I didn't get very far into my story when we were hit with a rush of customers. We were left to eat lunch in bits and pieces as we helped customer after customer, the coffee shop girls temporarily driven from my mind. When we finally closed down for the day at six we'd sold two bikes and had another three set up for repair work in the morning. I finished up the closing paperwork and made sure all the bikes on the showroom floor were secured before locking up. Jasper and Emmett had already left.

I climbed on my bike and took off for home, weaving leisurely in and out of the remaining rush hour traffic. When I got home there was a message from Jasper on my machine, telling me they'd be over around eight and our night could begin. That gave me a little over an hour to do whatever so I showered and changed into a pair of jeans that fit my like a glove and hung low on my hips. A long-sleeve black button down with the sleeves rolled up past my elbows and my boots completed the outfit.

I had already eaten and was watching an old hockey game on ESPN when I heard the rumble of Jasper's bike in the driveway. Seconds after the engine cut off he walked in my front door, helmet in hand. Emmett's Jeep was just pulling in and he soon followed. Emmett went straight to my fridge, pulling out a beer and grabbing an open bag of chips from the top of the fridge. I just rolled my eyes, wondering - not for the first time - if he ever actually stopped eating.

"Any suggestions for tonight?" Jasper asked, setting his helmet on my dining room table.

I pushed myself to my feet, going to lean against my kitchen counter. Emmett leaned next to me, munching on the chips. "We could always go check out a coffee shop or two," he said around a mouthful. "Edward seems to be having some luck there."

I shot him a look that told him to shut it and yanked the almost empty bag of chips away from him, tossing it back on top of the fridge. Jasper looked between us, clearly wondering if he was missing anything. So, being the wonderful friend I am, I filled him in and finished telling Emmett in the process.

"Yeah, I made a girl at the Twilight Café blush and her friend would like some club company sometime." Okay, not the redhead's exact words but I was a master at reading body language and hers had all but screamed _date me. _Among other things.

"I seem to remember you saying something about the other girl blushing _a lot._ What did you do, offer to bend her over the counter and screw her right there?" Emmett's comment earned him a smack upside the back of his head. He grinned at me, rubbing the sore spot on his skull.

"No, Em, that's what _you _would have done. But I don't think you'd have liked her. She's not your type."

He raised both brows in question. "Too short?" He did like his leggy girls.

"Too innocent," was my tart response. "You tend to like your woman as loose as their mouths."

Jasper laughed, turning it into a cough when Emmett glared at first me, then him. "I'm just not as picky as you guys are."

I snorted. "Ain't that the truth." Then straightened, checking the buttons on my shirt to make sure they were all in the right place. "Anyway, I was thinking we could hit the new club on the Strip. There's supposed to be a live DJ there for the opening weekend."

Jasper shrugged, running a hand through his blonde hair, making an effort to smooth it back. "Sounds good to me. Let me put my bike in the garage." And then he walked out. Seconds later I heard the garage door open.

I turned to Emmett. "The redhead at the café was pretty cute. And tall. Maybe you should check her out."

He pretended to contemplate it while I knew for a fact he would probably be heading over there tomorrow to see if he could make a pass at her. Best of luck to him.

Half an hour later we found a parking spot behind a red BMW less then a block away from the club, aptly named Night Moves. Once inside we discovered just how appropriate the name really was. The whole place was packed and dark, lights behind the bar against the far wall lighting up that area enough to be functional and erratic, multi-colored strobe lights briefly illuminating the rest of the club. Hanging from the ceiling were a dozen cages at different heights, each with a slender, gorgeous girl wearing boy shorts and push up bra's with the clubs' logo on them dancing seductively to the music pulsing from hidden speakers.

Emmett headed for the bar and brought a round of beers back with him. We dispersed, mingling with the crowd. It didn't take very long for the fish to start biting. I danced with a half a dozen girls in two hours, getting a number for each one out of it. The last one, a petite raven haired girl who looked good enough to eat, followed me over to the couches lining the walls. As I sat down she straddled my lap, rolling her hips in time to the music, grinding against my crotch and driving a throbbing ache through my body.

The song ended and the DJ announced the next one. The girl stopped grinding but stayed straddled across my lap, pressing her body against me and dropping her lips to my throat. I groaned, the hand not holding my beer going to the back of her head, tangling in her hair.

Out of nowhere I felt a fierce vibration coming from the back pocket of her skin tight jeans and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She pulled the phone from her pocket and checked the display, a pout touching her lush lips. "Sorry, honey. I gotta take this. Give me a call sometime and I'll show you what a real woman feels like." She traced her lacquered nails across my parted lips before turning and sauntering away.

I groaned again, this time in discomfort, and shifted to adjust myself, my jeans suddenly this side of too tight. I heaved a sigh and finished off my beer, leaning over to put the bottle on the floor in front of the couch. Leaning back again I scanned the crowd, taking in the writhing bodies that covered the dance floor. And that was when I saw her. Miss Birthday Girl herself.

She was dancing by herself with her eyes closed, her body moving to the music with a grace she hadn't had when I'd seen her last. Her hands reached above her head, elbows bent, exposing a line of her belly under her short shirt. I pushed myself to my feet and stalked toward her, fully intending to impose on her personal space and feel that graceful body pressed against mine.

But, alas, it was not meant to be this night. A skinny dark haired girl ran up to her, grabbing her wrist and talking excitedly about something. The both of them disappeared into the crowd before I could take another step closer. A heavy sigh fell from my lips as I faced what amounted to my second failed attempt that night. It was a new record even for me. Usually my failed attempts were my own choice.

Resigned, I pushed through the crowd to the bar where Emmett was ordering himself another drink. I clapped a hand on his shoulder as I came up beside him, gesturing for another drink as well. "Any luck?"

He shook his head, taking a swig of beer. "No. There was one who looked promising but it turns out she's a lesbian that was just having some fun." His look of disgust made me laugh. Emmett didn't understand why any girl would want to be a lesbian. He thought they were all far too pretty to be without manly attention.

"Don't worry. My fun got interrupted by a phone call." The bartender slid a beer over to me and I slid a five across the bar to him, indicating he could keep the change. He nodded his thanks and went off to help someone else. "Where's Jasper?"

Emmett's face lit up almost immediately. "I saw him talking to a girl about ten minutes ago. I think he might have found one he liked." 'Bout friggin' time.

As if our conversation had summoned him, Jasper took the seat next to me, stealing my beer for a minute while he waited for the bartenders' return.

"Hey, Jasper. Heard you found yourself a girl to talk to." I grinned at him, taking my beer back as a fresh one was slid down the counter to him.

His answering grin confirmed it. "Yeah. Actually, she's a girl I knew back in high school. We dated for a while before I transferred to Seattle." He chugged half his beer before putting it back on the countertop.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Alice. And yes, I got her number," he said, looking pointedly at Emmett. Emmett just shrugged, a smirk on his face. Guess our 'get Jasper laid' plan wasn't exactly a secret, then.

I shook my head, finishing off my beer. As I set the empty bottle down, the short, dark haired girl I'd seen talking to Bella came up beside Jasper, placing a hand over his that was resting on the bar. He turned and his face lit up as soon as he saw her. Alice, I was assuming. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear that made him smile again before leaning over to me. "Hey, we're going to go get something to eat. You two going to be okay on your own?"

I gave him the look the comment deserved. "No, Jasper, I don't think me and Emmett will survive without you holding our hands."

He punched my shoulder and stood, wrapping an arm around the waist of the small girl. She was definitely striking, her short hair sticking up artfully around her pretty face. She offered me a smile as they turned, disappearing into the crowd. I turned to Emmett, shaking my head. "Looks like our plan worked. Most of it, anyway."

He just laughed. "Come on, man. I'm beat."

Emmett dropped me off and I let myself inside the house, heading straight for the blinking light on the answering machine. I pushed the PLAY button while I set about cleaning up what little mess was in my kitchen.

"Edward, my man. It's James. How ya been?" A familiar, unwelcome voice started out. I froze, plate in hand, to listen. "They let me out early for good behavior, figured I'd give ya a call. I might be heading out to Seattle soon. We should get together, catch up. I don't have a permanent number yet so I'll call you back later." The beep sounding the end of the message was eerily loud in the silent kitchen.

I let the breath I'd been holding out through my nose, my teeth clenching together. So, James was out of prison. Early release for good behavior. Yeah, that was a laugh. I'd have to start screening my calls for a while, make sure I didn't accidentally answer his next call. He was definitely a part of the life I no longer led.

Unclenching my jaw, I finished putting away the dishes and went to take a long, hot shower. Feeling more relaxed afterward, I figured I'd wait until tomorrow to tell Emmett and Jasper about James' phone call and went to bed.

**Bella POV**

Seven o'clock found me rummaging through my closet for something to wear, a large, fluffy towel wrapped around my body and a smaller one around my hair. Alice was sitting on my bed, criticizing every article of clothing I pulled out. Finally, I threw my hands in the air and backed away from the closet. "Just find me something, Alice, since nothing I pick out is good enough." The irritation in my voice was mostly put on. Mostly.

Alice just smiled all innocent like and rummaged around for a few minutes before pulling out a short jean skirt I had hidden somewhere in the back of the closet and a tight, sleeveless top with a low v-neck. I sighed, resigned but scared of what she might find if I refused, and took the outfit from her, shooing her out my door so I could change.

An hour later I was dressed and made up, sitting on the couch with my foot bouncing impatiently while I was on Rosalie and Alice to finish getting all dolled up themselves. At ten after eight they both bounded out of Rosalie's room. Alice was wearing a skirt as short as mine but made of more flowing fabric and a tight white button down blouse with enough buttons open to reveal how much her bra complimented her cleavage. Rosalie had on a short red dress that was just this side of decent with a wide belt at the waist.

I pushed myself up to my feet, swaying a bit in my heels. "It's about time. I was beginning to think one of you fell down the toilet or something."

Alice giggled and came over, snaking her arm through mine and leading me toward the door. "Oh, don't be so sour, Bella. Tonight's about fun!"

I sighed as Rose locked up behind us and we all piled into her BMW. "No, tonight's about torture. You two will be the only ones having fun." My pout and my complaints were entirely put on. I trusted my friends to show me a good time, especially for my twenty-first birthday. I mostly trusted them, anyway.

The newest club in town, Night Moves, was the big hit this weekend. It was wall to wall people, the heated, massing crowd pushing in on us from all sides. Cages hung from the ceiling, girls with more plastic then was entirely healthy writhing to the music. We slowly made our way to the bar at the far side of the club, occasionally stopping to ogle one piece of eye candy or another.

The bartender offered me a smile that was more then just politeness as he handed me three Amaretto Sours, our traditional drink to start the night off with. Although it was my first time going out to the club with them, we'd frequented bars and the like since we started college. They didn't much care about legal age so long as your money was green.

Alice noticed the smile and gave me an encouraging nudge, nodding her head toward the bartender who was walking off, shooting glances back my way. I shook my head. "Alice, he's a bartender. He flirts for a living."

She didn't look at all discouraged as she lifted her glass. Rose and I clinked ours with hers and we downed the Sours. Not the typical way people drank them but we'd always done it that way. Alice leaned over the bar and motioned the bartender back. Rosalie stole my attention while Alice spoke with him.

"So you ready to get dancing and find yourself a cutie to take home tonight?" Rose's smile was teasing. She knew I wouldn't be taking anyone home tonight.

I smacked her lightly with the back of my hand against her shoulder. "Funny, Rose. Just because you two are promiscuous doesn't mean I am. And I fully intend to keep it that way." Just then I felt something cold against my elbow that was leaning on the countertop. I looked and saw the bartender passing me a short glass and another smile. The napkin the glass was on had a phone number and the words _Happy Birthday_ written on it. I smiled at the bartender and turned a glare to Alice.

Alice shrugged her tiny shoulders and hid her grin behind her customary gin and tonic. The bartender had already walked off when I picked up the glass and took a sip, tasting the different alcohols. Vodka, tequila, gin and something else I couldn't place. Didn't really matter. Whatever it was, it was good. I folded the napkin up and slipped it into my pocket, not intending to ever use it but not wanting to trash it either.

"Alice, what is this?" I asked, taking another drink to bring it down to the half full mark.

She grinned at me. "Vampire's Kiss." And then winked. I rolled my eyes and threw the rest of it back. Of course, she had to be a smartass about it. Just because I was the only one out of the three of us who was into vampires and werewolves, from a purely intellectual standpoint of course, she had to tease me about it.

After that we ordered beers. They were cheaper and we could drink more of them. A fast paced beat started thrumming out of the speakers and Alice grabbed Rose and me around the wrist and dragged us onto the dance floor. Rosalie and Alice started dancing almost immediately while I just kind swayed back and forth.

Rosalie stopped dancing after barely thirty seconds and stood with hands on hips in front of me. "Why aren't you dancing, Bella? I know you can."

I sighed and shrugged. Without saying another word, Rosalie grabbed my hand and pulled me against her body, her hands going to my hips. "Now dance." And she started moving and grinding and writhing to the music, forcing my body to follow hers. Her grace transferred to me as I let myself go, moving to the beat without any encouragement.

A dozen songs and two guys later, I was well and truly comfortable in my own skin. Alice said something about needing to use the bathroom while Rose went and got another round of drinks for us. I stayed on the floor, a new song coming on. This one had a hard beat under a graceful treble and it dripped seduction. It took my body on a new ride, my arms bending above my head, eyes closing as I let the music take me, primal and sensual.

My body felt like a live wire and when a hand suddenly wrapped around my wrist I nearly cried out, though not from fear. I opened my eyes to find Alice babbling excitedly about something I couldn't understand, bouncing in her excitement. I frowned and she just shook her head, turning to walk away with my wrist still in her hand. She led me to the door where Rosalie was waiting.

We stepped outside, the air cool and smelling of the coming fall. I turned and looked at Alice, wondering why she'd dragged us outside when we'd been having so much fun. Or at least, I had been.

"You will never believe who I just ran into!" Again with the bouncing.

Rosalie looked just as confused as I felt. "Who, Alice?"

"Jasper Whitlock!" It took me a full two minutes before I processed that information.

"Your old high school sweetheart?" She nodded and I felt suddenly a lot better about being dragged out. She'd spoken highly of Jasper when we'd first met after I'd transferred to the high school in Forks. Apparently he'd gone to live with his uncle at about the same time I'd gone to live with my dad so I'd just missed meeting him.

"That awesome, Alice!" I frowned. "Wait, you did talk to him, right? That's what the excitement is about?" She nodded, repeatedly and a lot more then was absolutely necessary. "Then what in hell are you doing out here talking to us? Go back in there and grab him up before some bimbo gets to him." I gave her a shove back towards the door.

I hesitated, the smile dimming but not disappearing. "You guys don't mind, do you?"

Rosalie was the one who spoke up this time, voice and expression firm and leaving no room for argument. "Look you little pixie, you get back in there before I make you and then I'll make sure this Jasper knows every embarrassing thing you've done since high school."

Alice just grinned and turned on her stiletto, hurrying back into the club. I turned to Rose, hooking my arm with hers and we started back toward her car. A big, lifted Jeep Rubicon had parked right behind her. Mud covered the big wheels and the bottom half of the Jeep. Rosalie eyed it appreciatively, her not so girly car fanatic side peaking through. I thought it nicely ironic that the most girly of the three of us was the one who could fix our cars if they ever broke down. No matter what was wrong with them.

She had left the top down on her BMW so I hopped over the side, not bothering with the door. I was feeling a nice buzz from the alcohol. Rose climbed into the driver's seat, actually using the door. Her dress wouldn't have worked well with jumping over the side. Key in the ignition, stick in first gear, and we were off, the wind blowing our hair back from our faces and drying the sweat generated by a couple hours of good dancing.

"The night's still young. Where to?" Rose asked.

I leaned my head back, enjoying the feel of the wind across my body. "Mm, I want to dance some more."

She laughed, the sound mixing with the wind like the two were made for each other. "Alright, then. Another club it is." Five minutes later she pulled up in front of a large brick building with a long line against the wall and a simple sign advertising Ambrosia. I started toward the back of the line but Rose just grabbed my hand, twining her fingers with mine, and headed straight for the bouncer by the door. A sweet smile and a, "Hey, Tony," and the bouncer let us through. I caught him watching Rose's ass as she walked back and couldn't stop the giggle that came from me. He gave me a wink and turned back to the crowd.

And for the next four hours, Rosalie and I danced together and with whichever guys came up to us, never sticking with one for more then a single song. It was one of the best nights of my life.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**_

I don't own 'em. Sadly : (

--

**Alice POV**

Running into Jasper had completely made my night. No, make that my week. When I'd last seen him, we'd both been juniors in high school back in Forks. Now, four years later, he had turned into the gorgeous man his not-so-awkward teenage years had promised he would. And the best part: he still remembered me. And seemed to enjoy the memories.

At my friends' encouragement I'd gone back into the club last night and asked him to take me to an early breakfast and we'd spent the next six hours until dawn talking at the twenty-four hour Denny's two blocks from the club. So much had changed in the past four years but we were able to pick up conversations as easily as we had back then.

Having left our rides behind at the club, he managed to get us a cab and dropped me off first. I lingered briefly in the backseat, staring at him as though memorizing his features. The attraction I had had for him was definitely still there and, with his older, more mature good looks, it was easily doubled.

I offered a smile and leaned in, placing a kiss on his cheek that brought an answering smile to his lips. "Call me," and then I got out of the cab, not looking back as I walked up to the second floor. The cab pulled away as I shut the door behind me.

I'd seen the BMW in the parking lot out front so I knew Bella and Rose were home but, like I'd figured, they were both asleep. I made enough coffee for one and stood against the kitchen counter, sipping it while I brought memories of our previous relationship to the front of my mind, bringing another smile to my face.

The smell of coffee permeated throughout the apartment and woke my two zombie roommates, both of whom entered the kitchen and looked disappointedly at the coffee maker. I immediately refilled it and started a larger pot. I finished off my mug and rinsed it out, bouncing on the balls of my feet a bit.

"Why are you so chipper at," Bella glanced at the clock on the microwave. "Seven in the morning?"

I barely suppressed my grin, keeping it to a small smile. "I just got home."

Rosalie's eyes focused on my face then took in every detail of my body, from the slightly rumpled clothes I was wearing - rumpled because I'd been wearing them for a full twelve hours when most club clothes were only meant to be worn for half that time - to my makeup-less face - due to the vigorous scrubbing in the Denny's bathroom, and the smile on my face. I watched her eyes light up with her assumption and immediately squashed it.

"No, Rose. I didn't sleep with him." I couldn't hide the small voice in the back of my head that wondered why I hadn't invited him back and done just that.

Rosalie just sighed and shook her head, pouring herself and Bella a mug of the fresh coffee. We stood around the island in our kitchen, them in their pajamas and me still wearing the skirt and slut top from last night, and talked the morning away. I had to spill everything, and I do mean _everything _about my past relationship with Jasper and then was forced to speculate what might be in store for us.

And then Rose asked the question I had been dreading. Well, mostly dreading. "So, did you sleep with him in high school?"

I dipped my gaze down briefly, which was enough of an answer for the both of them. Bella giggled and Rose strangled a squeal. "You were what, sixteen?" Bella asked, a slight playful disapproving tone in her voice.

I grinned at her, completely unashamed. "Yeah. He was seventeen. It was right before he left to go leave with his uncle."

"Wow, and I thought I started young," Rosalie murmured, _conveniently _loud enough for me to just barely hear her.

I picked up one of the candies in the large bowl in the middle of the island and chunked it at her. "For your information, Rose, you lost yours when you were fifteen. I beat you by a year."

Her eyes got as wide as the plates in our cabinets. "You mean _he _was your first? He's the infamous 'glorious first time'?"

I blushed ever so slightly as she brought back a conversation we'd had about a year ago about the guys we'd lost our virginities to. Bella hadn't been included in that one. "Yeah, Rose. He was my wonderful, glorious first."

She really did squeal think time, coming over to give me the biggest hug imaginable. "Oh my god, Alice! And now you're getting back together with him. How perfect is that?"

Her excitement had me bouncing on the balls of my feet again, a grin on my face. "I don't know if we're going to get back together, Rose. It was just breakfast."

Bella snorted. "Yeah, a six hour breakfast." I stuck my tongue out at her. She just laughed.

"Okay, girls. I'm going to bed," I said, pushing past the two of them and heading towards my room. I hear Rose call, "Sweet Jasper dreams, Alice!" And I gave her a one fingered salute before closing the door to my sanctuary.

I kicked off my shoes with a sigh, stripping down to my underwear and climbing under the covers. As much as I'd love to say I didn't take Rosalie's advice, my dreams were pleasantly Jasper-filled.

**Edward POV**

Saturday started way too late for my tastes. I overslept, having spent more then a few sleepless hours worrying over James coming to Seattle. When I finally drifted off into something resembling sleep, the sun was starting to peak over the horizon, filtering soft grey light through my curtains. I didn't wake up until noon when my phone rang.

I silenced the ringer only to have whoever it was call back again. I considered turning the damn thing off but instead of pushing the power button, my sleep disoriented fingers pushed the answer button. I groaned at my own miscalculation and put the phone to my ear.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause on the other end and I thought I might have heard someone snickering in the background. "You still in bed, Edward?" A soft, feminine voice asked.

I sighed, recognizing the voice of my date from a few nights ago. Jessie, great. "Hey, Jessie. Yeah, I had a late night." I let the implications of that settle in. Maybe if she thought I had spent my night in someone else's bed, I could get away without having to tell her I didn't want to see her again.

Her high giggle did nothing to make me think I'd succeeded. "I'm sorry." She sure didn't sound like it. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight." At least she was straightforward about what she wanted.

I sighed again, fluffing the pillow under my head for some support. "I don't think so, Jessie."

"Oh, well. Okay. See you around, Edward." And then she hung up. Yet she hadn't sounded put out at all.

I pulled the phone from my ear and just stared at it like it held all the answers to the universe. With a shrug I flipped it closed and sat up, covers pooling in my lap, running my fingers through my bronze hair. At least she took it well. She probably had another date already lined up. Less guilt on my shoulders so whatever.

I dragged myself through a shower and into a pair of faded jeans. I walked barefoot and shirtless into the kitchen and went to start coffee. Only to find out that I was completely out of beans. This was not turning out to be the best morning - er, afternoon - ever. Back to the bedroom and I pulled on a t-shirt that clung to my torso. I'd need to do laundry soon.

Riding boots and a leather jacket later, I was in the garage, checking my pockets to make sure I had everything. Wallet, check. Keys, check. Helmet, check. I backed my bike out, shutting the garage door behind me, and motored off toward center city. My intention had been to go to the grocery store, pick up some coffee beans, and go home. My bike, however, had other plans, and without even thinking about it - actually, I was thinking about some place completely different - I ended up stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Twilight Café.

I frowned then shrugged. Hell, café's had coffee and that was what I needed. I swung my body off the bike, balancing it on the kickstand, and pulled my helmet off. I ran my fingers through my hair to straighten what the helmet had squashed down, and left the offending head gear on the backseat of the bike. I wasn't worried about someone stealing; one would have to be a complete idiot to steal something off a bike parked right in front of a store.

The bell above the door - that was new - chimed when I pushed the door open. The place was a little busier then it had been the last time I'd been here, what with a whole two more people scattered about, one reading and two on computers. My eyes flicked to the counter and I immediately recognized the girl behind it.

She looked up when the bell chimed and grinned at me, waving with more energy then she should have had. I knew Jasper hadn't gotten in until well after dawn - thanks to the text message I'd read after my shower - and I'd assumed she'd been with him all night. That was only a few hours ago so either she hadn't slept, or she was one of those lucky few who could sleep an hour or two and function the rest of the day.

I stepped up to the counter, palms flat on it as I returned her smile. "Hey. Alice, right?"

She nodded and stood from where she'd been leaning and reading a magazine. "Yeah. You're Edward, right?" At my slightly confused nod she explained, "Jasper described his two best friends and detailed a lot of your exploits last night."

I lifted a single brow in amusement, wondering if the 'get Jasper laid' plan hadn't worked out as well as me and Emmett had thought it would. "Really? I think I'm better off not knowing what he said about that."

Her excitement was contagious and I found myself grinning with her. I really didn't see how this girl and my friend could have known each and been able to stand to be around each other in the past. She had more energy then any sane person would know what to do with and he was about as laid back as a person could get without being comatose.

"No worries. It wasn't _all_ bad." I just shook my head, laughing to myself. Yeah, definitely didn't want to know. "So, what can I get you? Or did you come here just to find out if me and Jasper got lucky last night?"

A questioning look followed her last statement. "Jasper told me about your plan to get him laid."

I nodded a few times and then came to my own defense. "It wasn't only my plan so don't give me that look. Emmett was equally involved in that."

She shrugged. "Emmett's not here so you get the blame." She smiled to ease the blow.

I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair again. "Alright, alright. I take the blame. Now can I get a coffee? Black, strong as you can make it."

She laughed and turned back to a fancy coffee machine. The door to what I assumed was a kitchen opened as she was pushing buttons and another girl came from the back.

"Hey, Alice. We're out of --" Her sentence cut short when she noticed me standing there. With her hair pulled back from her face, I could really take in her pretty face. She stopped in her tracks when she stopped talking and Alice looked up from her button pushing.

"Out of what, Bella?" And then she saw what Bella was staring at and looked between me and Bella a couple of times. Her face practically lit up with excitement.

"Is this him?" Alice asked, pushing a final button on the machine and turning so she could both of us more clearly. I was focused on Bella, remembering the graceful seduction I'd seen in her dance the night before. I could only imagine what Bella was thinking.

A blush colored Bella's cheeks and she dropped her head, breaking eye contact with me. I turned my attention to Alice to give Bella a moment to pull herself together. Alice, however, kept talking. "So you're the gorgeous green-eyes Bella mentioned."

I saw Bella's blush strengthen ten-fold at this comment and felt a small smile tug at my lips. So she'd been talking about me, had she? I was entertained by that thought, though it wasn't even close to the first time I'd caught someone talking about me.

Bella mumbled something and turned on her heel, making a fast escape.

"I think you embarrassed her, Alice." I said, conversationally.

She shrugged, unashamed. "She'll be okay." She turned when the machine dinged and poured me a cup of coffee.

"So. Gorgeous green eyes?" I'd never actually been referred to like that. Usually girls noticed other things before my eyes. It made me think better of the girl that she hadn't been so shallow.

Alice nodded, grinning again. "Yeah. She didn't say much, she never does. But she said she'd never seen eyes like yours. I think she described it as being hypnotized." She passed the steaming coffee over to me and I took it gingerly in both hands, inhaling the welcome scent.

As I took the first, careful sip, my eyes darted to the door Bella had disappeared through. "Hypnotized, huh?"

Alice followed my gaze and started toward the door. "Want me to bring her back out here?"

I shook my head, glancing at my watch. "No, probably best to leave her alone. I'm surprised she didn't faint from all the blood rushing to her head thanks to you." I gave her a knowing smile and turned to leave. "I'll be around."

The bell chimed as I opened the door and stood by my bike. I swung my leg over it, just sitting there while I drank the cooling coffee. I glanced up through the big window I'd parked in front of and noticed Bella had emerged from her hiding place. It looked like she was scolding Alice for something while Alice took it with the biggest grin on her face. I watched this exchange for a few minutes more, finishing the coffee and tossing the empty cup into a nearby trashcan.

I secured the helmet on my head and eased the bike off the sidewalk by way of the handicapped ramp then took off, my mind wandering back to the girl in the coffee shop who thought I had gorgeous eyes.

**Bella POV**

As soon as I heard the bell above the door chime I peeked out the kitchen door, stepping back into the main area of the shop when I realized the object of my gossiping was leaving. I turned on Alice with a glare that would melt the ice caps yet she wielded it with the grace of someone who was unashamed of what they'd done.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I asked, voice low and menacing.

She smirked at me, glancing out the big picture window to watch Mr. Green Eyes climb onto a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk and sip on his coffee. When she looked back at me, it was with a knowing look in her eyes. "Now why would I want to do that? Mr. Gorgeous Green Eyes might want have to give you CPR if that happened."

I held my hands up near her throat like I wanted to strangle her. And I kind of did but only in that loving, sisterly way. "I cannot _believe _you called me out like that! No, wait," I crossed my arms over my stomach to keep from _actually _strangling her. "I can believe. You live to embarrass me."

She swiped a hand through her short hair, brushing back a single strand that had fallen in her face. "Oh, relax, Bella. I saw the way he was staring at you. He was just as interested as you were."

I snorted, a very unladylike sound that thoroughly expressed my disbelief. "Yeah, right. And I'm the Easter Bunny."

Alice ducked around behind me, lifting up the back of my shirt until I turned around a slapped her hand away. "What the hell are you doing?"

She grinned at me, bouncing back to where she had started cleaning the coffee machine. "Checking to see if you have the cute little cotton ball tail. I think that might be something Edward would need to know if you guys want to get together."

I looked up when I heard the motor of the bike rumble and watched as he drove away before turning back to my irritating friend. "So you guys are on a first name basis now, are you?" And there was my irritation, plain as day.

Her shoulders lifted in a deep sigh as she shook her head, turning to look at me over her shoulder. "He's friends with Jasper, Bella. That's how I know who he is."

I felt my eyes widen briefly while I pretended to ignore the tiny flutter in my chest. "Really? When did you learn this?"

"When he walked in. I saw him with Jasper last night at the club and I knew who he was from Jasper's description of his friends." She grinned again, the bouncing returning. "From what I hear, I think Rosalie should meet Emmett. Apparently he's as horny as she always is."

I grinned at the thought and shook my head. Alice bounced over and hugged me as hard as she could which, for someone her size, was pretty damn hard. She already knew she was forgiven for her little 'slip'. I sighed and picked up a damp rag, wiping down the countertops.

It was some time later, after our shift was over and Carli had come to replace us and we were on our way home in my old truck, that the subject of Edward of the gorgeous eyes was brought up again. This time, though, it was me to bring it up.

I wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel to ward of the embarrassment I knew was about to make its appearance. "Hey, Alice. You said Jasper was friends with that guy. Edward. Right?"

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, her lips twitching as fought back what I could only assume was a knowing smile. It didn't take a genius to figure out what I was about to say. "Yeah. What about it?"

I took a deep breath, mentally bracing myself for the teasing I'd have to endure at her hands. "Do you think you could maybe find out if he's interested in going… on a date… or something… from Jasper?" By the last word my voice had dropped to a mortified whisper and I felt the blush coloring my cheeks. My god, what was wrong with me? I should be able to ask a simple question without a flood of embarrassment.

Alice grinned at me, turning to put her back against the passenger side door so she could face me, one knee pulled up into the seat. "So you _are_ interested." This was a statement of knowledge she already had. Not a question of confirmation.

I shot her a muted death glare. "Of course I am. I'm not blind!"

She just laughed at me, reaching over to turn the radio down a bit. "Oh, Bella. I can promise you he's definitely interested. No need to even ask anyone that."

I blushed redder then before. I knew full well what _she_ meant when she said he was interested and that definitely had not been what I meant. I gripped the steering wheel harder and just stared straight in front of me, focusing on the road. After a while, Alice got the message and sighed, shifting to sit back in the seat the way she was supposed. Just in time for me to pull into our parking lot and park next to Rose' BMW.

We both got out of my truck and headed to the second floor. While I was unlocking the door, Alice said, "I'm not going to ask Jasper, Bella. Because I know if you just wait it out, he'll tell you himself."

I sighed and looked back at her, telling her with a glance that I wasn't mad at her like she thought I'd been. But I nodded and decided to take her advice. Maybe he would ask me out. But if he didn't, I sure wasn't going to sit about worrying over it. I'd never worried over a guy in the past and I wasn't about to start now.

With that pleasant thought, I sat down on the couch next to Rosalie, stealing a hand full of popcorn from the bowl in her lap and let myself fall into the trance that was cable TV.

**Edward POV**

"I saw your girlfriend today." Was my opening line as I let myself into Jasper's first floor apartment with the key he'd given me. I tossed my bike keys on the little table by his door for just such clutter and kicked off my boots, leaving them by the door as well.

Jasper looked up from whatever book he was reading, probably another Civil War history, and raised a questioning brow at me. "Really? Where at?"

I dropped into the recliner directly across from the one he was curled up in. His couch was between the two chairs and a coffee table took center stage in front of all three pieces of furniture. I kicked the recliner back, letting the footrest come out. "She works over at that Twilight Café you like so much. I'm surprised you've never seen her there."

He shrugged and closed his book, tossing it onto the coffee table. I was able to glance the title then. Just as I'd thought, some account from the Civil War told by someone who actually lived it. "Bad timing, I guess."

I sighed and relaxed in the dim living room. His only light right now was the floor lamp behind his chair. "She works with that one girl I was telling you about."

"Which one?" he asked, standing and moving into his kitchen. "The one you made blush real bad?"

"Mm. Yeah. Her. Her name's Bella." I thought I caught a hint of wistfulness in my voice and glanced to the kitchen to see if Jasper had caught it. He was a lot more perceptive then Emmett was and while sometimes that was great and wonderful, sometimes it was just a pain. Now might be one of those times.

"Bella, huh? I remember Alice mentioning a Bella." He emerged from the kitchen, bowl in hand. I smelled the ramen from where I was sitting and my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I'd only had one cup of coffee for sustenance today. "She also said that she's in desperate need of company. Of a sorts." He smirked around the noodles he was stuffing his face with. "Hey, maybe you should help out with that."

And this was why his perception could be a pain in the ass. "Can it, Jasper. She doesn't seem like the type for a one-night stand." Though I wouldn't mind getting her under me for a night, I had a feeling it would take a lot more then charming good looks to do it.

Jasper shrugged again and finished his ramen. I'd honestly never seen anyone inhale food as fast as that guy did. "Suit yourself. But hey, maybe she didn't mean company. Maybe she meant boyfriend." And with that he turned and went to wash his bowl, leaving me to my thoughts for a bit.

Six hours later, I was rudely woken up by a swift kick to my calf that caused me to curl up around the muscle cramp it resulted in. I glared at Jasper and cursed him through my teeth while I tried to work the muscles out. "What the fuck was that for?"

He looked completely unashamed. "I'm going to pick up Alice in an hour. You should meet me there and talk to Bella."

I massaged my aching calf through my jeans. "How do you know Bella will be with Alice?"

He was already heading back to his bedroom, presumably to get ready for his date. "They live together." His door clicked shut and I heard the shower cut on a few minutes later. I stayed where I was for a full five minutes contemplating the idea then decided it was a damn good one and hurried home.

Half an hour later I was showered, dressed and waiting in the parking lot of Jasper's apartment while he locked up. I had my Volvo with me instead of the bike, figuring it'd be easier if Bella did actually agree to come out with me tonight. Jasper climbed on his bike and led the way to the girls' apartment, parking next to an Chevy truck that looked in pretty good condition, considering its age and the tendency people had to let cars like that rust.

I got out of the car and went to lean against the hood of it as Jasper walked over to me. "Want me to tell Bella to come down or you want to come up?"

I'd thought this one through already. "Tell her to come down." If I went up it would seem a bit stalker-ish and I didn't want her to think that. Jasper just nodded and took the stairs two at a time to the second floor. I heard a distant knock and a few seconds later, I recognized Alice's voice though I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Alice came bounding down the stairs ahead of Jasper, the two linked only by their hands. She beamed at me as she reached the parking lot and the two of them walked over to join me.

"Bella will be down in a minute. I think Rose is still trying to convince her you're really here." Alice seemed to take great amusement in this fact. I couldn't blame. I was amused as well, though the dominant feeling right now was a strange kind of excitement that she would possibly be excited to see me.

"Thanks, Alice. I owe you one." I gave her a hug, arm briefly wrapped around her waist, before her and Jasper made it over to his Buell. He got on first, handing her the spare helmet, and then she got on behind him. His engine roared and, with a wave from Alice, they were gone.

A few minutes later I heard a door open somewhere above me and heard footsteps on the stairs. Bella came into view at the top of the first floor landing, just visible from my position in the parking lot, and she stopped. I couldn't even begin to guess what was going through her mind but whatever it was, she sorted through it quickly enough and she was back on her way down the stairs. When she reached the parking lot, she approached me with caution and no small amount of suspicion in her eyes. What could she possibly think I was going to do to her to warrant that look?

Instead of being put off by her expression, I offered my most charming smile. "Hey, Bella."

She gave me a full once over, taking in my appearance - worn jeans, navy button down shirt, sleeves rolled above my elbows, a leather cuff on each wrist - and my posture - relaxed against my hood, arms crossed over my chest. She seemed pleased, or at least not threatened, by what she saw, and came a little closer.

"Hey, Edward. What are you doing here?" Her tone was a cautious as her eyes had been a moment before.

It struck a weird, unused note in my chest that she already knew my name. Of course, with Jasper and Alice and their six hour breakfast talk, it made sense she'd know my name. But still. It made me almost… giddy.

But I conveyed none of this, shrugging to put on the appearance of casual nonchalance. "Thought I might drop by and see if maybe you wanted to get something to eat." That's it, Edward, nice and smooth.

I thought I saw a faint tint of pink across her cheeks before she dipped her head, brushing hair back behind her ears. It was cute, really, the way the slightest thing would make her blush. "Um, okay. Where… did you have someplace in mind?"

I shrugged again. "Not really. Figured I'd wait and see what you might be in the mood for." I angled my head a little, trying to catch her gaze and get her to look at me again.

She glanced up through a veil of her hair before lifting her head, the possible blush gone from her face. "Do you like Chinese?" Her voice was a little more confident with this question.

I nodded once, pushing myself away from the car and dropping my arms to my sides. "Chinese sounds good. Do you need some time to get ready or…" I trailed off, realizing too late that that might have been construed as an insult to some girls, implying they weren't good enough to go out looking the way they were.

Bella, however, was made of better stuff then that. She just smiled, the small quirk of lips making her face light up. She really was beautiful in her own right. "No, I'm ready. Let me just grab my stuff." I nodded again as she turned on her heel and ran back up the stairs.

I let out a small sigh of relief and went over to the driver's side, opening the door and sliding behind the wheel. That had gone a lot better then I'd thought it would. Of course, I'd thought up the most horrendous scenario's for how it could've gone, picturing everything from flat out refusal to a cop showing up with reports of a stalker. Yeah, it could've gone worse.

It seemed like no time at all before she was back down the stairs, a small messenger bag slung across her chest and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was watching her feet carefully as she took each step and I used the time to watch her. Even with nothing more complicated then jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that barely clung to her, she was beautiful. And it was then that I realized I wanted to get to know this girl more.

She climbed into the passenger side and buckled up while I tried to figure out when I'd become so attracted to her. I must have been thinking pretty hard, or maybe just frowning, because she gave me a worried look, her hand going to the buckle on her seat belt as if she might release it and get back out of the car.

"Is everything okay? Do you not want to go?" Embarrassment colored her voice.

I shook myself from my thoughts and flashed her a smile that relaxed her almost immediately. Oh, I liked that. "No, no. I was just thinking." I turned the engine over and put the car in gear, backing out of the parking lot. "You know of any really good Chinese places around here?" I knew of a few but I wanted her insight.

She didn't even hesitate. "Lin Chung's on 5th street is the best I've ever been to but it's a little pricey. Ting's on 9th is my next favorite." The fact that she'd added a second option and worried about the price told me she wasn't high maintenance and wouldn't expect expensive gifts every time I turned around, like some of my ex's had. I liked her already.

I sent another smile her way as I turned onto Billings Ave, the connector to 5th. "Lin Chung's it is. Wouldn't want to go second best, now would we?" The smile she answered me with was well worth the few extra dollars I'd spend tonight, even if money had been an issue. I could tell tonight was going to be one worth remembering.

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_**So, what'd you think? Emmett and Rose get their meeting next chapter, after Bella and Edward's date, of course. Oh, and James might make an appearance next chapter. Or at least a phone call. So, read and review. Hope you enjoyed. : ) : ) : )**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**_

The usual disclaimer applies

_**AN:**_

I know I said we'd be giving Emmett and Rose their meeting this chapter but Bella and Edward took over and I ended up giving a little - read: vague - insight into Edward's past. I'll make it up to ya'll next chapter : ): ): )

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**Bella POV**

I felt like I was in a dream. One of those that stars some famous, gorgeous movie star and usually ends up with a better than R rating. Only, I doubted this 'dream' would end like that, and I couldn't crush down the small, pouting disappointment in the back of my head at the thought. The front of my brain was perfectly fine with ending the night on a PG rating. That part, the sensible part, wasn't going to let charming good looks, a sexy smile, and a voice that could touch things hands were never meant to distract me into rash decisions.

"So, Bella," that velvety smooth voice drew me out of my thoughts. "You mentioned you're in school. What are you studying?"

"I'm majoring in European History with a focus on the British with a minor in Literature." I picked up my chopsticks and scooped a piece of meat into my mouth. "I've almost finished my required courses to get my degree and then I'm thinking about going for another major in Business Management and Accounting. I just didn't want to do a double major right off the bat."

He arched both brows up, a small smile on his lips. "Understandable. What are you going to use a major in history and business for, though?"

I looked down at my plate, suddenly embarrassed, and twirled my chopsticks around in my noodles. "I'd like to run a museum someday. Or at least be the curator of one."

He reached out and brushed his fingers across my hand, the one holding the chopsticks. "Hey." He dipped his head down, trying to get my attention and I looked up to meet his gaze. "Don't be ashamed of that. I think it's cool. I went to school for Business Management as well but I only get to run a bike shop." He smiled and I couldn't help but laugh at his tone.

"Hey, at least you're getting to put your degree to good use, yeah?"

He grinned this time. "Yeah. And working with bikes all day is a complete chick magnet." His tone was joking and I laughed again.

"So," he continued. "I take it from your major, the first one at least, that you want to travel to Europe someday." It wasn't a question.

I nodded, putting a twirl of noodles into my mouth. "Yeah. I would love to take a few months and just go see that whole place. There's just so much history there! I could spend my whole life digging visiting historic places and never even come close to seeing them all." I could feel my excitement at the thought alone.

He smiled, enjoying said excitement. "Well, I have a pretty good feeling you'll get your wish someday."

Hearing him say that made me feel all warm and giddy inside and I couldn't help thinking how much nicer such a trip would be with someone like him - ahem, I do mean _him_ - at my side. I shook the thought away, meeting his gaze again. "So tell me more about you. You've let me babble on all night."

His lips lifted in that sexy, crooked smile that I'd been dreaming about earlier. "I like hearing about you. Makes me wonder where you've been all my life."

I paused with food halfway to my mouth and just stared. Did he really just say that? He looked unashamed and completely calm. If he hadn't meant to say it, he wasn't showing any signs of that. "What do you mean by that?" When in doubt, ask.

He shrugged, tossing a piece of a fortune cookie into his mouth. "Just that every girl I've dated since I got out of college has been air-headed and fake. An intelligent conversation with them involves shoes or the latest fashion trend and very little in the way of actual conversation." He grinned again.

"Aw, you poor baby." I patted his hand, offering up mock sympathy. "How will you ever go on after such horrifying experiences?"

"Oh, I don't know. I could meet a few more girls like you and I'd be good to go." He glanced at me from under his thick lashes, making my heart flutter. "Or," his voice dropped a note or two, "you could agree to go out with me again and make me a happy man."

Oh, what I would like to do to him and make him a happy man. I mentally kicked myself. _Shut it, Bella! That's so not a cool line of thought._ I swallowed a little hard and broke the eye contact before my heart gave out. "Um, yeah. That'd be… I mean…" I glanced at him and offered a small, embarrassed smile. "I'd like that."

His grin was bright and immediate. "Excellent. We'll discuss details later, though."

I laughed and instantly relaxed, embarrassment forgotten. The rest of the dinner was spent in easy conversation but it wasn't until we were walking back to his car that I realized he'd avoided my question.

"You know," I said, "you never did tell me anything about yourself."

He held the passenger side door open for me and I slid into the leather seats. "Well, then, my apologies. Ask away." And he went around to the driver's side and climbed in, putting the key in the ignition and easing out of the parking lot. "I'll even take the long way back to your apartment so you have more time." He shot me a small smile.

I smiled back. "Alright. How did you end up with a bike shop all to yourself?"

"Actually, Emmett, Jasper and I run it. Jasper's uncle signed over all the paperwork to the three of us so he could retire early and travel with his wife."

I nodded and brushed a few loose strands of hair back behind my ears. My questioning continued, asking about his family and his friends, all the way up until he pulled into my parking lot. I felt a deep sense of disappointment at the night having come to an end, though it was still fairly early. He put the car in park and I took a moment to gather my courage before I turned to him and asked, "Would you, maybe, want to come up? It's still early… we could… maybe we could watch a movie." I felt a full blush coloring my neck and face. "I meant, if you want to."

He chuckled and I felt his fingers brush across my blazing cheek before he turned the car off, getting out on his side and coming around to mine before I had time to get my door fully opened. He took my hand and helped me the rest of the way out of the car while I kept my eyes on my feet. Being vigilant didn't help any, though, as I tripped before I could even stand straight up. I pitched forward, having caught my foot on the lip of the door as I was getting out. I fell into his chest and felt his arms wrap around me.

"Whoa, now. You okay?" he asked, his hands moving to my waist as he helped me stand.

I nodded, a little too rapidly. "Yeah, sorry," I whispered. "I tend to trip a lot." And when I was embarrassment, it happened a lot more. But that little fact would be kept to myself.

He brushed the hair from my face and straightened the hem of my shirt before giving me a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Happens to me, too, sometimes."

I snorted and lifted my head, meeting his gaze before turning toward the stairs. "I highly doubt that."

I heard his footsteps follow me up the stairs and to my apartment. I put the key into the lock and turned, hearing the _clunk _as the deadbolt released. "So, movie?" I asked, pushing the door open.

He smiled and nodded once, putting a hand on the door over my head to hold it for me. "Movie."

I walked in and tossed my keys onto the kitchen counter as I passed it, leading the way into the attached living room. I gestured for him to sit on the couch and moved over to our entertainment center, sliding open the glass doors. "So, what kind of movie are you into?"

Ignoring my suggestion of the couch, I felt him come up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, looking over said shoulder at the collection in front of us. "Impressive collection," he murmured. He thumbed past a few titles before finally pulling one out of the third shelf. "This one okay?" Transformers. The movie not the animated series.

"One of my favorites." I smiled and took the movie case from him, ducking out from under the hand that was threatening to make my heart work overtime and went to put it in the XBOX. We didn't even have a DVD player. No need for one, with an XBOX 360 under every TV in the apartment.

"Ah, intelligent, beautiful and good tastes. Are you sure you're real?" His voice was soft, almost as if he hadn't intended for me to hear him.

I blushed yet again and turned toward the kitchen. "Um, I'll make some popcorn. Make yourself comfortable." While I watched the bag expand in the microwave I wondered what exactly I thought I was doing, inviting him back here. We'd only been on one date and now he probably thought there was going to be sex involved later. _Stupid, Bella. Way stupid. How come you never think things like this through before you open your mouth, huh?_ I knew the answer to that one and it was because I hadn't been thinking with my brain when I'd invited him up.

The microwave dinged and I dumped the hot popcorn into a large bowl, going back into the living room. I sat down on the couch, putting a foot of space between us and the letting the popcorn bowl take up that space. We munched on the kernels throughout the movie and every once in a while, our hands would brush as we tried to get some at the same time.

About halfway through the movie I felt the entire couch vibrate and looked around, confused. Edward jumped like something had bitten him and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He pushed a button and checked his message, laughing at whatever was there.

"What's up?" I asked, not really wanting to seem like I was invading his space but curious at what was making him laugh.

He shook his head, folded his phone and leaned forward to drop it onto the coffee table. "Nothing. Just Emmett being Emmett."

I arched a questioning brow at him. "Really? And how was 'Emmett being Emmett'?"

I shot me a look out of the corner of his eye and sighed, settling back into the couch with his arms stretched across the back, the fingers of his one hand nearly brushing my shoulder. "Go ahead and read it, if you want."

Normally, I'd have let it go, then, not wanting to go through someone's phone. But this time, my curiosity got the better of me and I reached for his phone, having to lean across his lap to get to where he'd tossed. I felt him stiffen when my chest brushed his thighs and froze, my eyes flicking over to him. He was staring at me, a look I didn't recognize in his eyes, looking like he'd stopped breathing.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and grabbed his phone, quickly sitting up. I thought I heard him let out a breath as I flipped the phone open and went to his inbox. Just one message. Good, I didn't feel quite so bad about looking now.

I opened the message and read it through. I had to read it a second time to comprehend what it said, my mind going into some form of denial, and once I did, I felt my face flame.

_Edward, dude, you better be getting some. Otherwise, I'm going to kick your sorry ass from here to Texas for ditching me tonight. She'd better be good tail._

I couldn't seem to get enough air as I quickly shut the phone, holding it in my lap while I fought to get my breathing and my blush under control. I yanked the hair tie from my hair, letting it fall across my face in so I could hide behind it while I calmed myself.

I heard Edward chuckle a second before I felt the couch move. I didn't dare look at him yet but I could feel it as he moved the popcorn bowl and scooted closer to me. His fingers reached, brushing the hair back from my face and tucking it behind my ear. That same hand reached into my lap, easing the phone from my fingers and putting it back on the coffee table.

"Bella?" His voice was soft, soothing. "Bella, please look at me."

I lifted my head just enough to do as he asked, my face still hot. He offered a small, assuring smile. "I didn't come out tonight hoping to get some, honest. That's just Emmett being Emmett. He's a little put out that I changed our plans so I could take you out and he was just picking on me." He reached out and brushed his fingers across my cheek, tracing the bone.

I swallowed audibly. "Why does Emmett think I'm just a piece of ass?" I whispered.

"Because I didn't tell him much about you." He smiled again. "Not that I knew a lot to begin with, but all he knew was I made you blush at the coffee shop."

"You told him that?" I asked, mortified. It was bad enough that Carli had told Alice. Now Edwards friends knew, too.

He leaned forward slowly, almost hesitantly, as if waiting to see my reaction, and brushed his lips across my red cheek. That one small touch made my breath hitch in my throat. I felt his breath brush across my face when his soft voice came. "I think you're cute when you blush."

Words left me and all I could manage was a stuttered and half-strangled, "Um… thanks." I could feel him smile and I turned my head to look at him. His eyes dropped to my lips and I unconsciously licked them. His gaze followed the path of my tongue before flicking up to meet my eyes.

The look in his eyes was smoldering and I recognized it, this time. Desire, plain and simple. He was so close that a hard thought would have brought our lips together.

I swallowed audibly and closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to meet the desire in his eyes, especially seeing as how I feel a similar feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach. "I thought you said you didn't come here to get some." I was amazed that my voice was steady, although I could barely hear my own words, they were so soft.

I felt his fingers brush across my other cheek, tucking the rest of my hair behind my other ear, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "I didn't. And I don't intend to go back on what I said."

I nodded slowly, a few times more then was absolutely necessary. "Then what are you doing?"

I felt his breath brush my lips before he spoke. "Open your eyes." His soft voice held a command to it and I felt my eyes opening of their own accord.

He met my gaze with solid eye contact and started to lean in to close that minute distance between us. He held my gaze up until the point right before contact when he closed his eyes. His lips brushed mine and I felt my own eyes flutter shut. That chaste brush turned into a melting of lips. His fingers slid back into my hair, curling around the back of my head as his lips moved over mine, leading me in a sensual dance like none I'd ever experienced.

I felt a little lightheaded when he pulled back and that crooked smile crossed his lips. "Breath, Bella," he whispered, running his fingers fully through my hair, smoothing it out. He pressed a small kiss to my forehead before leaning back, putting some space between us to let me recover.

A deep breath satisfied my need for oxygen as I sat back against the couch, blowing out the breath in a rush. My entire body was tingling and he hadn't even used any tongue. Yeah, it was official. That man is dangerous, both to my health and my virtue. If I were smart, I'd tell him to leave and never speak to him again. I must admit, this time, being smart did not appeal to me.

**Edward POV**

I leaned back a few inches, giving her some space so she could breathe. I liked that I could affect her like that, especially after only having known each for a few days. It made something deep inside me clench in possessive joy. That same part of me wanted to stake a claim to this girl, right here and now, but I quickly shook myself free of those

thoughts. It was _way_ too early to even be considering that.

I watched as she sat back into the couch and stared at the TV as though mesmerized by the movie I'd long since stopped watching. I put a few inches between us, letting her know that I didn't intend to make another move tonight. I hadn't intended to make the first move but something about her had drawn me to her. And, almost as though someone else were controlling my body, I'd closed the distance between us and done what I had secretly wanted to do since I first saw her in that coffee shop.

I took a deep, calming breath and shifted, trying to be as inconspicuous in my movement as possible as I tried to adjust myself. This wasn't like me, to get so turned on, to have my body be so affected, by such a small kiss. A chaste kiss without the promise of sex behind it.

Bella cleared her throat and I glanced back over at her to see the blush had faded but not completely left her cheeks. That tint of red made me want to brush her hair back and plant little kisses all along her cheeks. _Fuck, Edward, since when did you _ever_ want to do that to someone? _That was an easy answer; never. So why did I want to do it now?

"I think I'm going to call it a night." Her voice was soft and almost hesitant, like she was worried about something. My reaction to essentially being asked to leave, probably.

I offered a smile and stood. She followed me to the front door and held it open for me. I turned around right outside the threshold and put a hand on the door to keep her from closing it on me. "You promised me a second date, remember?" My words were light, giving her the impression that it didn't matter either way. She could back out if she wanted.

Bella smiled, another slight tint coloring her cheeks, and leaned against the door frame. "So I did. When would you like your second date?" I guess she wasn't as bothered by the kiss as I thought she might have been. Playful banter didn't usually happen when someone was put out with someone else.

I mimicked her position and reached out, brushing loose strands back from her face. "Tomorrow night. I get to choose the place this time."

She hesitated, probably considering where I might choose, then gave a single nod. "Okay. You going to give me a clue?"

I grinned and shook my head, pushing off the door frame and leaning in. I brushed my lips across her forehead in a soft kiss. "It's a surprise." And then I turned and headed for the stairs. I jumped the last two and got in my car, feeling an odd excitement coursing through my body. It was hard for me to believe I was this excited about tomorrow night; after all, I barely knew the girl. Maybe it was just nerves. Usually my dates consisted of dinner and sex, and rarely a call back the next day. Unless that itch needed scratching again.

I sighed and dropped my head back against the headrest. _Face it, _I thought, _you like this girl. _

_But I barely know her, _I argued with myself.

_Doesn't matter._

I growled softly under my breath and backed out of the parking lot. I contemplated going home but in the end I decided to head to Emmett's. Either he'd be home, and we could finish out the night at the clubs, or he'd be out and I'd head home. But when I turned onto his street, I saw his Jeep in front of his apartment and knew I was in luck.

I parked my Volvo beside his Jeep and got out, beeping the alarm on. I opened the door to the lobby of the apartment building and took the stairs, wanting to work off some pent up energy. Emmett's apartment was on the fourth floor of the five story building so by the time I got there, I was calm and collected, my thoughts no longer speeding in a million different directions, all leading back to one person.

I pushed open the door to the fourth floor and was halfway down the carpeted hall when I heard it; the same voice that had made my blood freeze then boil when I listened to his message.

I rounded the corner and saw James outside Emmett's door, a cell phone pressed to his ear. He was waving his free hand around and it arguing with the person on the other. Before I could gather anything about the conversation, he looked up and saw me, telling whoever it was that he would call them back and snapping his phone shut.

"Edward," he grinned and met me halfway to the door, giving me a brief hug that I reluctantly returned.

"Hey, James. What're you doing here?" Yeah, so it sounded a little less then polite but I didn't care. He was the epitome of what I ran away from when I was teenager.

He either didn't notice or didn't care. "I told you I'd be heading out this way. Didn't you get my message?"

"Yeah, I got it. Didn't think you'd be here so soon, that's all. So they let you out early, huh?" I fought the urge to turn tail and run in the opposite direction from my old friend and instead pushed open the door to Emmett's apartment. James followed me inside.

"Yeah. I served three of my five and kept my nose clean." He shrugged, his leather jacket - the same one he'd been arrested in - creaking a bit.

Emmett was sitting on the edge of his couch, a controller in hand. It took a second for me to recognize the game, not being a big gamer myself, but I finally did and couldn't stop the snort of amusement. Mercenaries 2, the game he'd been antsy to get ever since he saw the first commercial and it's catchy "Oh, no you didn't" jingle.

He glanced up at me with a nod of hello and then a look to James. I knew what that look meant; he was going to have my ass for not mentioning James' phone call earlier. I guess James had spilled the beans about telling me he was coming to town. Emmett and I shared our feelings toward James and because of this, I was surprised he hadn't said something already.

"Sorry about tonight, Em," I said. He just shrugged and I turned to the fridge, pulling out a much needed beer and twisting the cap off. I tossed it into the jug that Emmett kept for the caps. He wanted to make a beer-pong table out of beer bottle caps.

James got a beer out as well and came to stand beside me where I was leaning against the kitchen counter. Emmett's apartment had a very open floor plan, with the kitchen, living and dining rooms all in one huge space with no walls or discernable division between the three, so I could stand in his kitchen and clearly see what he was doing.

"So how's things been the last three years? I miss much?" James asked.

I shrugged and downed a quarter of my beer. "Not really. I finished my degree."

His face twisted up in disgust. "I still don't know why you bothered. You could have used that money for better things."

I clenched my jaw and fought the urge to punch him right there. "You mean like you did?"

It was his turn to shrug and he grinned at me again. "Hey, at least I enjoyed myself. Plus, getting arrested wasn't my fault. If Chris hadn't gone and told his mom everything we were doing, we'd have been fine."

I suppressed a sigh and quickly finished off my beer, going for another. I needed a buzz and I needed it now. "I hope you didn't come here hoping to get me back into all that. My record's clean and I intend to keep it that way."

"Whatever you say, man." And I could tell just from the tone of his voice that he wasn't going to let it go that easy. Damnit, I didn't need this. Especially not now, when my life was working and I didn't have to worry about looking over my shoulder all the time.

"Look, James. I'm glad you got out and I'm happy to see you but I'm not in that life anymore. And I don't want to go back." Emmett was being oddly quiet throughout this whole conversation, with the exception of the occasional "Die, motherfucker" as he killed one thing or another in his game.

James sighed and came over, putting his hand on my shoulder in a brotherly manner. I resisted the urge to shrug out from under his touch. "Don't worry about it. Three years behind bars changed my outlook. I didn't come here with any intention other then to catch up with my friends."

I searched his face for any sign that he was lying but knew that, if he was I would never know. James was the ultimate con-man and if he wanted to lie to me I'd never know the difference. I just shook my head and accepted what he said at face value, though I fully intended to either keep an eye on him while he was here or avoid him entirely.

"Alright." A deep breath. "Alright." I went and sat down next to Emmett and the look he gave me told me louder then words that he'd heard everything and didn't believe a word of it. I nodded once to let him know I understood and he went back to his game.

James left shortly after that, claiming that he was tired and was going to head back to his hotel. As soon as the door clicked shut I stood and went to turn the deadbolt over. I stood in front of the door, my forehead against the cold surface, and heard the game go quiet. Emmett must have paused it.

I turned around and went to drop my empty beer bottle in the trashcan. "Why didn't you tell me he was coming to town, Edward?"

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, suddenly wanting to punch something. James always did this to me. "It slipped my mind. I just got his message last night. I didn't think he'd actually come here." I leaned on his kitchen counter, palms flat against it, trying to pull myself together.

Emmett came up beside me, leaning his butt against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. "Look, man. I don't trust him. I never did. But I don't think he's here just to catch up."

I laughed, though the sound was bitter and held no amusement. "Yeah, I'm sure he's not. What are we going to do about it? We can't make him leave."

Emmett was quiet for a long moment and I looked at him. He expression was hard and I immediately stood, knowing what he was thinking. "No, Emmett."

His dark gaze met mine and if I hadn't known that look was directed at someone else I would have turned and run for my life. As it was, I didn't even flinch. "No. Emmett." I repeated, slower, my voice offering no room for argument.

I watched his jaw clench and unclenched before he pushed away from the counter and turned, punching the wall with all his muscled strength. When he pulled his hand away, the white wall had crumpled in where he'd punched it and there were red smears on it.

Without a word I turned and went to the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit from under the counter and went back to the kitchen. "He's not going to stop until he has you where he wants you, Edward, and then he'll do everything he can to control you." Emmett's voice was tight as I wrapped his knuckles up. We wouldn't know for a few hours if they were broken or not, but knowing how hard he hit the wall, they probably were. Good luck getting him to get it checked out, though.

"No, he won't," I said, focusing on wrapping his hand. "I'm not that person anymore."

Emmett snorted. "I hope you're right, Edward. I really do hope."

I finished the quick bandaging and packed everything back up, turning to return the kit to the bathroom. "Look, Emmett, don't worry about it. I'm not going to let him get that close this time."

"You're family, Edward," he called after me. "I can't not worry about it."

I gave him a look when I came back out. "We're not that close of family." I was referring to the fact that, about a year ago, we'd found out from his dad that we were distant cousins, third or fourth, or something like that.

His features hardened again. "You were family long before we knew there was blood between us. Don't ever think otherwise, Edward."

I sighed again and rolled my shoulders. "I don't, Emmett. I'm sorry. I'm just on edge." He paused but nodded, accepting my apology. I headed for the door, the need to punch something coming back in full force. "I'll swing by tomorrow. I'm going to head to the gym."

I had the door open and was halfway out the door when he said, "I almost forgot. How good was your reason for ditching me tonight?"

I grinned, my mood suddenly lightening which was probably his whole intention, and turned back to look at him. "You should probably get started kicking my ass. I've never been to Texas."

"I can't believe it. You've gone the whole weekend without getting laid. No wonder you're on edge." He laughed at me as I raised my middle finger and left, shutting the door behind me.

I headed to the twenty-four hour gym near the shopping district and for the next three hours beat my frustrations out on the punching bag until my muscles were sore and all I wanted to do was sleep. I showered at the gym, changed back into my street clothes, and went home. My sleep was, thankfully, dreamless.

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_**Reviews are awesome! Show these characters some lovin'. : ): ): )**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Things I own: An old Fender guitar, a remote control tank, and a Coors Light hat.**_

_**Things I don't own: Twilight. Damnit.**_

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**Emmett POV**

After Edward left I booted up my computer and sent off an e-mail to an old friend back in Chicago. Caleb was a parole officer and would be able to tell me the exact details of James' release. Especially since Caleb had been good friends with both myself and Edward. I had a sneaky suspicion that James wasn't supposed to have left the Chicago area. Especially considering when he'd been arrested he hadn't been granted bail because the judge considered him a flight risk.

After I hit the SEND button I sat back in my chair, pulling my hat off and running my fingers through my hair in frustration. Next thing I needed to find out was how James figured out where I lived. Sure, I was in the phone book, but so were a dozen other E McCarty's, which was how I was listed in the white pages. I couldn't believe that he'd gone to each address to see if I was there and I further couldn't believe he'd just guessed right the first try. Something was going on here and both Edward and I knew. I was just the one who was going to have to do something about it.

With a frustrated sigh I shut my computer down and went back to my game, hoping that shooting people and blowing up random buildings would relax me enough that I could sleep. I worked morning shift by myself tomorrow and then I wanted to do some work to my Jeep. And I wasn't one of the lucky few who could function on two or three hours of sleep.

An hour later my eyes were burning and I was sufficiently tired. I turned off the XBOX and the TV and went through the door into my bedroom. I picked up the few articles of clothing on the floor around my bed, which was just the mattress and box springs on the floor, no headboard, and dumped them in the hamper. I walked over to my dresser and pulled off my watch, the ring I wore around my thumb, and the chain around my neck. I placed my accessories on the wood of the dresser next to my wallet and keys.

Having emptied my pockets I stripped and climbed into bed naked, falling into a restless sleep almost immediately, the nightmares from my old life coming back to haunt me.

_The street was dark, all the lights having been shot out or burned out with no one interested in coming this far into the slums to fix them. That was fine, though, because it made it easier to hide. I was slouched in the driver's seat of a stolen BMW, not an uncommon sight in these parts where drug lords and pimps ran the streets. A nice, shiny new BMW or Mercedes showed up every week._

_I ran my hand across my jaw, feeling the stubble there. I needed to shave soon. And I also needed a cigarette. Gah, where was he?_

_I was supposed to meet Edward here after his run. James had said he had a buyer for his merchandise and Edward was his best runner. This time, though, it was guns instead of drugs. A higher profit in this area, since most of the gun running took place about four miles east of here. It was also highly dangerous because if any of them found out someone in drug territory was running guns and infringing on their profit, James and whoever he had working for him were dead._

_I growled under my breath, wishing not for the first time Edward would just let me kill the son of a bitch and get it over with. James was trouble, with a capital T. And it was the kind of trouble we shouldn't be attracting. Drugs and cops and pimps we could deal with. The mob we couldn't. And that was who ran the guns in this town. James was playing with fire and dragging Edward right along with him._

_I heard the door slam shut on a nearby house and sat up in my seat. Finally. Edward walked quickly down the cracked and potted sidewalk, hands in his pockets. He caught sight of me and hurried to the passenger side of the car, all but yanking the door open and sliding into the car._

"_Drive. Now," was his terse opening comment. I didn't argue, putting the car in gear and pulling away from the curb. At the end of the street I took a left, the complete opposite direction of our apartment. Something was up, something bad._

"_What happened?" I asked, heading towards center city._

_Edward shifted in his seat and turned to look out the back windshield. He uttered a curse as I looked in the rearview mirror, catching the sight of headlights skidding around the corner I'd just made. Without another word I slammed on the gas, taking the next right and then two lefts before speeding down an alley between streets._

"_James didn't have everything he promised. Sully said all or nothing." Edward explained. I cursed and skidded around another corner, watching as the headlights behind us easily kept pace._

"_James is trying to get rid of you. He knows what you're trying to do," I said, glancing at him briefly and catching a worried, almost fearful expression cross his face in the light of a working streetlight._

_He met my gaze before looking back to car behind us. "That's impossible. I've been more then careful."_

_I growled under my breath as I made the turn that would take us to the bridge. We were almost outside the city now. "Then why else would he knowingly send you into Sully's lair without all the merch?"_

_I saw him shrug out of the corner of my eye. "I don't know. I'll worry about it later. If Sully's boys catch us now it won't matter, anyway."_

_And it looked like they just might. Whatever they were driving was a lot faster then the BMW but I wasn't entirely surprised. Sully had more money then God, and twice as much influence. He only lived in the slums so he could keep an eye on his investments._

_The car was gaining quickly by the time we crossed onto the bridge. We were halfway across the small river underneath us when I felt the jolt and looked back to see the headlights hidden behind my bumper, seconds before we were jolted again. Shit, they were trying to run us off the road. And, to top it all off, I heard the sound of gunfire. Great. Fucking perfect._

_The rear windshield shattered and we both ducked our heads to avoid an high flying bullets. I tried to swerve and throw off their aim but it didn't seem to work. I felt it when the back tire got hit and lost all its air, sending severe vibrations throughout the car. At the exact same time, I heard Edward's strangled yell and tried to look. He was holding his side and even in the erratic lighting from the car behind us I could see the blood. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

_I struggled to keep the car under control but with a perfectly executed pit maneuver we were skidding at an angle that I couldn't stop. The front of the BMW crashed through the wood and steel railing of the bridge. I felt my body jerk forward and a sharp pain in my forehead as it connected with the steering wheel. Water started spilling in through the now broken windshield._

_I put a hand to my hand and looked beside me. Edward hadn't been wearing his seatbelt and was crumpled against the dash as gravity pulled him forward. I wrapped my fingers through his belt loops and pulled him back to me, snaking an arm around his waist to keep his unconscious body from drifting off when the car filled. _

_I took a deep breath seconds before I was submerged and the front half of the car filled with water. A few more seconds and the entire car was filled. With the pressure now equalized inside I was able to easily push the driver's side door open. I kicked out of the car and headed to the surface, breaking free with a gasp. I pulled Edward's head above water and quickly made for the shore. _

_I pulled Edward up onto the dirt of the river's shore, dragging him into the cover of the trees a few feet away as Sully's men started scanning the river with flashlights. I watched for a moment to make sure we were well hidden before turning to attend to my friend. He wasn't breathing. I cursed again and started CPR. Luckily, with the first three presses against his lungs, he coughed and spit up the water he'd inhaled into his lungs. He groaned and turned his head to the side but didn't wake up._

_I pushed back his wet hair from his forehead and examined his head. A nasty cut had split more then half of his forehead open and it looked like his nose was broken. A quick tug on his shirt ripped the material and I was finally able to look at where he'd been shot. It looked like a through and through, for which I was eternally grateful. I could only hope the bullet hadn't torn through anything vital. With a soft grun, I threw him over my shoulder in a fireman's carry and took off through the sparse trees lining the river. _

_After fifteen minutes or so I stopped and put Edward back on the ground. I'd reached the back side of a neighborhood and decided to see what I could acquire in the way of wheels. Edward needed a doctor and I couldn't get him to one on foot._

_I found an easy steal in the nearest driveway and went back for my friend. I carried him silently and then leaned him against the side of the car. I shrugged out of my soaked jacket and wrapped it around my fist, punching it through the glass and unlocked the door. The car was an older model and I had been counting on it not having an alarm. Luck was with me tonight. So far, anyway._

_I deposited Edward into the passenger seat and yanked out the wires underneath the steering column. A few sparks later and I was rewarded with the engine turning over. I hauled ass out of the neighborhood and once again turned my path toward center city. I was paranoid the whole way to Carlisle's house, looking out every single mirror at least once every three seconds._

_I pulled into the driveway and pulled Edward out of the car, hustling around to the back of the house. I pounded my fist against the glass of the backdoor, waited five seconds, then repeated. A light on the second floor flicked on. It seemed to take forever before the light behind the door came on as well and the curtain was brushed aside. I saw Carlisle's wide eyes before he unlocked the door and opened it, holding it so I could squeeze through with my cargo._

"_What happened?" Carlisle asked, clearing the tablecloth off the dining room table and laying down a white sheet. I laid Edward on the sheet, catching his head so it didn't slam back. _

"_James sent him to Sully's without all his merch. Sully's boys shot him and ran us off the road." I pulled the tattered remains of Edward's shirt off his body and dumped them on the floor. He was starting to come around as Carlisle came back into the room with his med kit._

"_That's suicide," Carlisle said. He knew enough of the underground to know when things were bad, even though he stayed away from it as much as he could. I felt bad for coming here but not bad enough to risk Edward's life, because I didn't know how serious his wounds were._

"_Tell me about it," I grumbled. I looked at Carlisle as he cleaned the gun shot wound. "I'm sorry to come here. But I couldn't take him to the hospital. They'd ask too many questions."_

_Carlisle just nodded without looking up from his work. "Were you followed?" When I shook my head to the negative he gave me a small smile. "Then it's fine." He straightened and pulled out the needle he'd use for stitches. _

_Edward groaned and his eyes fluttered. I looked down at him when he opened his eyes and gave me a confused look. "What the hell happened?" he asked, voice cracking._

_I grinned at him. "You got shot, bro. And then tried to drink the river." _

_He frowned then winced when he felt the tugging of the cut on his forehead. He put a hand to his head and tried to sit up, only to be stopped by me on one shoulder and Carlisle on the other. "Stay down, Edward," Carlisle said. "Let me get you cleaned up."_

_Edward groaned again, this time in protest. Carlisle started suturing the exit wound first and Edward winced again, hissing air in through his teeth. Carlisle kept anesthetic stocked in his house but I knew he wouldn't use it on Edward, or me for that matter, unless it was asked for. We were gluttons for punishment, I guess._

"_There doesn't seem to be any internal damage," Carlisle said, finishing up the first stitches. "But keep an eye on any pain in the area for the next few days. If it gets too bad, get to a hospital, questions or no." And he looked pointedly at me. I just nodded._

_Carlisle got Edward stitched up then covered both entrance and exit holes with gauze. He also cleaned the cut on his forehead but said it wasn't that deep and wouldn't need stitches. Edward looked grateful. He hated getting stitches. Said they felt weird. Dumbass._

_When he was finished, Carlisle cleaned up his equipment and I helped Edward get to his feet. The white sheet was removed and, along with the remains of Edwards shirt, thrown in the fireplace to be burned in the morning. Carlisle handed Edward a clean button down shirt from his own closet. "Call me if you need anything."_

_I nodded and led the way out the back door. Edward turned and put a hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "Watch your back. And take care of Esme." He smiled. "Tell her we said hey." Carlisle nodded and shooed us off. It wouldn't do for us to stick around in case Sully's men were still looking for us. With any luck, they'd think we drowned in the river._

I woke with a jolt, sweat covering every inch of my body. I lay back against the pillow and scrubbed my face with my hands. The nightmare brought back all the reasons why we'd left Chicago. And all the reasons why I still wished Edward would just let me kill James and get it over with.

I growled and got out of bed, going straight for the shower. Fifteen minutes later I was clean and dressed, sitting down in front of my computer and booting it up again. I checked my e-mail, disappointed but unsurprised that Caleb hadn't gotten back to me yet. I'd probably hear from him sometime this afternoon.

I locked up and headed off to work. The morning drug on, as it sometimes did when I worked alone and distracted. Luckily, though not for business, we didn't have any customers before lunch which is when Jacob came in. He was a mechanic, mostly, but we'd trained him to be able to run the store if we were gone or didn't have anyone else to do it.

"Hey, Em. You look like shit." Jacob's greeting only made me that much more irritated.

"Thanks, Jake," I replied, sarcasm thick in my voice. He just shrugged and grinned at me, heading back into the repair part of our shop for a while until my shift was over.

I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, stopping in on the back office to tell Jake I was out. I climbed in my Jeep and headed to Andy's, the only store in town where I went to get the parts for my baby. Andy always got the best price and never failed to pass that onto his customers.

I parked in front of the old warehouse that housed his store, the name painted in small black letters across the front of the warehouse. A shiny red M3 was parked in another spot. I couldn't help but stop and admire the convertible. It was gorgeous car and one I'd dreamed about owning a few years back. Then again, I'd dreamed of owning a lot of cars a few years back, including, but not limited to, an NSX, Skyline, and Supra. But, alas, I was browsing through the junkyard outside of town and I saw the ruined carcass of my Jeep and I just fell in love. It was instant and I forgot every other car I'd ever longed for.

With a final glance at the BMW, I headed inside. The interior was lit by dim, flickering lights and smelled like oil. I loved it and felt instantly at home as I headed to the desk that bisected the room. Andy himself was behind it and stood when he saw me.

"Emmett, good to see you," he said, holding his hand out. I shook it. "Hey, Andy. Sorry I haven't been by in a while._" _

The old man just shrugged and gave me a friendly grin. "No big deal. What can I get you?"

I leaned my elbows on the counter. "I need new belts, an oil and air filter, and a new suspension kit."

Andy gave me a look and laughed. "I'm not even going to ask about the suspension." I just grinned and shrugged. "Alright, give me a second and I'll get your stuff."

I nodded and he moved from behind the counter, walking down one of the dozen aisles. I heard him ask a customer if they needed help and then a sweet, musical voice respond. My ears instantly perked up, hoping to catch more of that feminine sound but no such luck. Andy was back and heading to the aisles and aisles behind the counter where he kept the larger and more expensive parts. And the extra inventory.

While he was rummaging around I heard the distinct sound of heels on the concrete floor and turned to watched a blonde goddess come out of the aisle. I stood leaning against the counter, staring like a retard as she came up to the counter. She wore a sleek business pants suit, the slacks clinging to her thighs and the top buttons of her shirt undone. Her blazer hung open.

She glanced at me and gave me a very obvious once over, a smirk crossing her lips. I regained my cool, collected composure and grinned at her. Her eyes lingered on me as she called out, "Hey, Andy. Can you find me a starter while you're back there?"

I lifted a questioning brow. Could she really be beautiful and know her way an engine. Nah, it was far too much to hope for. Andy's response came muffled through layers and layers of parts. "For the BMW?" Ah, so she owned the gorgeous piece of metal outside.

"No," she finally looked away, raising her voice to be heard. "Bella's truck." I heard a sound from the aisles that the girl took as a confirmation and turned back to me, holding her hand out. "I'm Rosalie. What's your name?"

I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips, brushing them across her knuckles yet never breaking eye contact. "Emmett. It's a pleasure." I could hear the seduction dripping from my voice.

She smiled and gently took her hand back as Andy came back with both our parts. He handed Rosalie her starter and she looked it over, checking to make sure it was in one piece before handing it back to be rung up. She swiped her credit card then gave me what I could only describe as a 'come fuck me' look as she turned and left. I turned with her and watched her walk away, enjoying the way her slacks clung to her ass.

I was still watching her walk when Andy totaled up my parts. I handed him my own credit card and, with a grin and a terse goodbye, I hurried into the parking lot. Rosalie had just shut her trunk when I came out and went to the driver's side of my Jeep, tossing my things in the back seat. I turned to where she was leaning against her car, watching me with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"So, Emmett. Did you enjoy your view?" She asked.

Guess she'd noticed me watching her. Oh, well, she was hot. I smirked back at her. "Immensely. I'd like to see more of it."

She arched a single brow at me, an amused expression on her face. "My, my, aren't we forward?"

I closed the distance between us, reaching up brush her long hair off her shoulder and cup her chin in my big hand. "No need to beat around the bush. I want you."

She tilted her head up in invitation and I crushed my lips to hers, making no pretenses about how I wanted her; hard and fast. And I usually got what I wanted. Her hands came up between us, splaying across my chest, fingers curling into my shirt. She pulled my lower lip into her mouth, biting it to just this side of too much pain and I growled. She pulled back from the kiss and gave me a smug look.

"I'm not that easy, Emmett. You want me, you got to work for it." And with that, she climbed into her car. She slipped a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and put the car in reverse, tossing a business card at me before peeling out of the parking lot.

I growled again, this time in frustration as I reached down to adjust myself. Damn, that was hot. I bent down to pick up the business card and read the information:

_Rosalie Hale_

_Personal Shopper_

_555-555-5555_

At least I had her phone number. And her last name. I grinned and pocketed the card, fully intending to give her a call once I finished with my Jeep. I pulled myself into said vehicle and started out of the lot, visions of the golden goddess and the things I wanted to do to her filling my head as I drove back home.

**Rosalie POV**

Oh, wow. He had been _hot!_ With a capital H. So why hadn't I just invited him back to my place and enjoyed the hard, thorough fucking his dark chocolate eyes promised? That was a damn good question but hell if I knew the answer.

I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building and hurried upstairs to change. A ratty pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged my torso was my usual mechanic clothes. I grabbed the starter I'd picked up and went down to Bella's truck to replace the old starter. It took less then an hour and then I hopped in the shower.

I was walking around my room in a towel when I heard my cell phone ring from my nightstand. I sat on the edge of my bed and glance at the number. I didn't recognize it but with my job, that wasn't always uncommon.

"Hello?" I answered, my best professional voice.

There was silence for a whole three seconds and then the sexy voice I'd been daydreaming about while under Bella's hood spoke up. "Rosalie Hale. Personal Shopper. I didn't realize Greek goddesses had such mundane jobs."

I grinned and put the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I stood, going to my closet to find something to wear. "Yes, well. Even we need to make rent."

He laughed and I felt things low in my body clench. Wow, this man just sent out waves of pure sex. Even over the phone. "Touché. What are you doing tonight?"

I paused in front of my open closet. "Whatever I want to. Want to join me?" I introduced a teasing edge into my voice.

He laughed again, this time it was huskier and I knew exactly where his thoughts had gone to. "Love to. Meet me at the pool hall at eight." And then the line went dead. I pulled my phone away and stared at it, laughing to myself. "Cocky bastard." But I knew I'd be there.

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_**So here's the deal: I'm getting a crap-ton of hits on this story but you guys who are reading aren't reviewing. It's making Edward sad and he's threatening to turn into emo, sullen, refuses-to-get-laid Edward. So c'mon, let's get Edward laid! : ): ): )**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**The usual disclaimer applies.**_

_**AN:**_

This is where the story begins to earn its rating.

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**Alice POV**

I spent the early part of Sunday in a state of barely controlled excitement, waiting for Rose and Bella to leave. Jasper was supposed to come over today and, though I'd told my two friends that I wanted the apartment to myself, they had yet to leave. Rosalie was complaining about having to leave nearly three hours before she was supposed to meet with a client.

"Bella," I heard Rose call from my spot in the kitchen. "Have you seen my grey pumps?"

Good. At least if Rose was looking for shoes, then she was almost ready to go. She always saved shoes and accessorizing for the very last. "I think they're still in your suitcase," was Bella's muffled response. I heard the door to her room open and she came into the living room, dressed in jeans and a loose t-shirt. Even in my excitement I couldn't suppress my sigh. As much money as the three of us had spent trying to get Bella into more fashionable clothes, she always reverted to what she referred to as her 'comfy clothes'. I think, one day, I'm going to go through her closet and throw out a bunch of her stuff.

She came into the kitchen and pulled a soda from the refrigerator, popping the top and grinning at me. "We're about to leave, Alice. Relax."

I returned her grin with one of my own. "I am relaxed. This is me relaxed." Bella shook her head at me, glancing up as Rose came into the room. "Finally," I said, teasingly. "I thought you'd never be finished."

Rose flipped me the one fingered salute and turned to Bella. "You ready?" As if Bella would make either of us wait to get ready. I think, if that happened, I'd faint.

Bella picked up her backpack from where it was resting by the couch and I frowned. "I thought you were off for the week, Bella?"

"I am. But that doesn't mean I don't have a ton of homework I should be catching up on." She said, shrugging into the bulging bag. It had to weigh more then she did.

I smirked at her, leaning forward on the balls of my feet. I knew why she hadn't done her homework all week and I have to admit, if I didn't have my attention focused on Jasper, Bella's distraction would definitely be worthy of it.

And speaking of distractions. We all looked toward the door when the knock reached our ears. I emitted a squeak and bounced toward the door, pulling it open a little quicker then I'd intended, a bright smile on my face. Jasper was on the other side, grinning at my enthusiasm. "Happy to see me, I take it?" he said, stepping across the threshold.

I nodded and leaned up, meeting him halfway for a kiss. Bella cleared her throat as her and Rosalie squeezed past us. "I'd say don't do anything I wouldn't do but I think we all know that's exactly what's going to happen," Rose said as they headed for the stairs. In response, I shut the door, cutting off any further comments and leaving Jasper and I alone in the foyer.

"And just what exactly did she mean by that," Jasper asked, the sly smile on his face telling me he knew precisely what she meant.

I shrugged, playing along. "Who knows with Rose." I felt his hand at the small of my back before he pulled me flush against his body, dipping his head to brush his lips lightly along the length of my jaw. "I think I might be able to guess." His southern drawl deepened with his voice and I shivered, my head falling back.

He took advantage of that by pressing soft, lingering kisses along my throat. My breath hitched and I felt my heart skip a few crucial beats. I placed one hand on his shoulder in an attempt to steady myself though his hold around my waist was firm, unbreakable. My other hand tangled in his long, blonde hair, my nails digging into his scalp when he bit down over my pulse.

I felt his chest vibrating against mine when he chuckled. "Looks like I still know what drives you crazy." And he proved his point by tracing the fingers of his free hand across my lower lip, barely touching me, before claiming my lips in a forceful, passionate kiss that took what little breath I still had away.

He lifted me with the arm around my waist and I wrapped my dangling legs around his waist, tangling both hands into his hair as we continued the kiss. His tongue ran across my lips, asking for entrance and I gave it to him gladly, moaning at the contact.

He pressed me back against the wall and I broke the kiss, needing a moment to breath. His lips dropped back down to my throat, trailing lower to the low v-neck shirt I was wearing. His ran a slow, sensuous line across my collar bone with his tongue before pulling back. His gaze was smoldering as his eyes met mine and I leaned forward, wanting to continue our kiss.

He moved his head out of the way and grinned at me. "Now, Alice, we should take this slow." I groaned and let my head fall back against the wall, looking at him from under lowered lids. "So says the man who has me pinned against a wall." I rolled my hips forward, grinding against his and his eyes fluttered shut, a low growl rumbling up from his throat. When he opened his eyes and looked at me again, I felt my body react instantly.

"Point taken," he said, pulling me away from the wall and walking us toward the hall where the bedrooms were. I leaned in for a kiss and this time he let me, stopping only long enough to guide him into the right room. He used his foot to push open my door and kicked it shut behind us, making a beeline for the queen size bed that took up a good portion of my bedroom.

He broke our kiss and threw me onto the bed, my slight body bouncing once and landing dead center on the mattress. He stood at the foot of my bed and watched me, his lips parted slightly, jaw clenched though not in anger. Desire and passion was plain on his face as he let his eyes wander over my body. Just being the object of such an intense gaze made my breath come faster.

He leaned over then, grabbing my ankles and pulling me back down to the foot of the bed, his hands trailing their way up the outside of my thighs when I was where he wanted me. He slipped those hands under the hem of my shirt, his fingers splaying against my sides before he pulled the shirt up and over my head, revealing the pink and black lace bra underneath.

He stared down at me for a few seconds before looking up and smiling, claiming my lips for another kiss. His body shifted forward, his weight laying me on my back as his hands roamed across my stomach and sides, fingers caressing every inch of my skin. I shuddered under his touch, fire igniting in my veins wherever he touched.

He kissed his way across my jaw and throat, his lips stopping at the tops of my breasts, his tongue dipping under the lace but not removing it. He continued down to my stomach, kissing across my abs, his fingers deftly undoing my belt. He kissed the line of flesh above my jeans as he undid the button and the zipper, rolling his eyes up to watch my face as he eased the denim off my hips and tossed them in the general direction of my shirt.

I lifted up, moving my elbows behind me to prop myself up so I could watch him. He pulled back enough so that he could get a full view of my body and the look on his face was one of reverence and desire. He let out a shaky breath and dragged his gaze back up to my face. "God, Alice, you're more beautiful then I remember." His husky words sent a shiver through my entire body.

I lifted myself up a little more, using the muscles in my stomach and back to keep myself up, my hands going to his shirt and tugging it over his head. I let the material fall away and ran my hands slowly along his chest and stomach, my fingers tracing the hard lines of his muscles. He stood up straight and I followed, sitting up fully and leaning in to press a kiss to his stomach.

Jasper's fingers gently brushed my hair from my face as I looked up at him, my own fingers moving to his belt. I wasn't as smooth as he was but I got his belt and jeans undone and down around his ankles. He stepped out of the material and kicked them off to the side, leaving us both only in our underwear.

I could feel the heat from his erection, mere inches from my face, his boxers straining to keep it in check. I didn't want it in check. I moved my palm across his hardness, earning a gasp from him that drew my gaze back up his body. His eyes were a little wide, almost desperate in their desire. I gave a firm tug on his boxers and pulled them off his body, freeing his erection.

My hands went to his hips, thumbs tracing the V of muscle that led down to what I wanted most. I licked my lips, my eyes never leaving his, and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on the head where fluid was already starting to gather. I was rewarded this time with a near strangled groan and couldn't stop the small, satisfied smile that crossed my lips.

I wrapped my hand around the base of him, giving a gentle squeeze that caused him to jerk and put both hands on my shoulders to steady himself. That wide-eyed look was back on his face again as I took the head of him into my mouth, closing my eyes as I slid him into my mouth. His fingers curled into my shoulders and a low growl came from his throat. I pulled back and licked the large vein on the underside, all the way to the tip before taking him all the way into my mouth this time, relaxing my throat so I could swallow his entire length.

"Oh, god, Alice!" Jasper gasped, one hand moving to my hair to hold me in place for a moment. When he released me, I started to bob my head, my tongue flicking along over heated skin, my hand stroking what I didn't have my mouth wrapped around.

It didn't take long of this before his breathing became erratic and his grip in my hair tightened. "Alice… I'm…oh, god!" He tried to pull me away but I held tight as he came, swallowing everything he had until he was finished. I gave him a last, long lick before I leaned back on my elbows, looking up at him, a small, satisfied smirk tugging at my lips.

He collapsed onto the bed, catching himself with a hand on either side of me so that he was hovering over me. When he got his breathing under control he said, "You didn't have to do that, you know."

I smiled and reached up, tracing my thumb across his lips. He closed his eyes and planted a kiss on it before looking at me again. "You enjoyed it," I said and he nodded. "So did I," I whispered, wrapping my hand behind his neck and bringing him down for a kiss.

He shifted his weight to one hand while the other came to the front clasp of my bra, his fingers flicking the clasp open with practiced ease. Never once breaking the kiss, he helped me shift to get the offending material off my shoulders. Once gone, he moved his kisses to my throat and lower, kissing along my collar bone again before going lower still. He kissed every inch of my breast around my nipple, deliberately avoiding my hardened peak.

I groaned, my fingers in his hair trying to guide him to where I wanted him to go but he moved his lips from my skin, a low laugh coming from him as he grabbed my wrists, placing them firmly at my sides. "I didn't interrupt your fun, now did I?" I swallowed hard and shook my head. At this he went back to his task, switching to the other breast and again kissing everywhere but where my body wanted him to.

He shifted again, going to his elbows so his hands could massage my breasts, his thumbs flicking across my nipples and drawing a moan from my throat. I felt his smile against my skin as he finally took my nipple into his mouth, sucking on it and biting down just enough to make me squirm without hurting me. He kissed and licked a trail to the other peak, it taking into his mouth as his hands moved down my sides to my panties, sliding the lace down my hips and tossing it over with its matching bra.

His mouth left my breast and headed south, his kisses trailing a line of fire behind them. I propped myself up on my elbows again as he knelt on the floor, my legs still hanging off the end of the bed. He used his hands to spread my thighs, scooting closer so I couldn't close my legs. He held my gaze as he kissed the inside of my knee, dragging his lips slowly up the inside of my thigh, stopping just short of my center.

I groaned in protest when he pulled away to do the same along the other thigh. When he stopped this time, he blew a cool breath across my folds, causing my to writhe in frustrated agony at his teasing. He grinned and I felt a finger trace my slit from top to bottom, dragging a gasp from my throat.

Jasper moved my legs to his shoulders before running his tongue over the same line his finger had made. I cried out, my head falling back as he continued his actions, his lips and tongue finding my bundle of nerves and paying it special attention. When I felt him slip a finger into my core I fell back onto the bed, my hands clenching at the comforter as my body clenched around him.

He added a second finger and started pumping them in and out of my body, curling them to hit that sweet spot inside me, his tongue never faltering against my clit. I felt the orgasm building low in my stomach and his pace picked up, his fingers pumping faster. The orgasm washed over me without any further warning and I cried out, his name falling from my lips.

His fingers slowed and then pulled out when he was sure I was done. I felt the bed shift but couldn't muster the energy to open my eyes just yet. I felt his arm snake around my waist and he pulled me further up the bed, toward the headboard. I did open my eyes then, looking up into his pleased face. He positioned himself on top of me, his hips nudging my legs open and I gladly let him.

"That was amazing," I whispered and he grinned, rubbing his erection against my center. I gasped and writhed as he hit my still sensitive clit. "Hope you're ready for another," he said as he slid inside me with one, long thrust. My back arched and I cried out as he filled me.

He paused to let my body adjust to his girth and then began to move, pulling out slowly until only the head remained. He pushed in just as slowly, repeating the motion a few more times. Then, he began to pick up a faster rhythm, and I curled my fingers into his hips, my hips meeting each thrust. He shifted his weight and brought one hand up to cup my breast, taking my nipple into his mouth and drawing a low moan out of me.

He slowed his thrusts just long enough to adjust his angle and with the next thrust I cried out, digging my nails into his hips as the orgasm start to build up again. His thrusts turned quick and shallow, his upper body hovering over mine. Moans were falling from my lips and I heard Jasper's voice, "Come for me, baby." And that was all it took to push me over the edge into delicious, sparkling oblivion. I felt my body clench around him and heard his own strangled cry as he came inside me, calling my name out with his climax.

He collapsed on me, a little to the side so he didn't suffocate me, his back heaving with his breathes. I was still coming down from my high when he pulled out and laid beside me, bringing a soft whimper from me at which he just chuckled, pulling me over to snuggle against his side. I wrapped my arm around his waist, my head resting on his shoulder like it was meant to be there.

We stayed like that for a while, his hand making slow paths up and down my back. My phone ringing forced me to get up. It was Rosalie, saying she'd be home in a little bit so we needed to either shut the door or be dressed. I laughed at her when we hung up and turned to look back at Jasper. His eyes heavy lidded like he was on the verge of sleep.

"Stay with me tonight." It wasn't a question and he just smiled, his hand reaching up to caress my cheek. I closed my eyes and turned my face into his palm, nuzzling it briefly. His words drew my attention back to his face. "Of course, darling. Whatever you want." The last sentence was whispered as he leaned up for a gentle, almost chaste, kiss.

I grinned when I heard his stomach rumble, pulling back to roll out of bed. "I guess if I'm going to keep you here, I might as well feed you."

I moved to my closet and pulled the pink silk robe off the door, shrugging it onto my shoulders. I glanced back at Jasper, who was stretched out across my bed, his arm curled under his head as he watched me. "I can think of something I can eat." The look on face and the timbre of his voice telling me that what he had in mind was definitely not found in the kitchen.

I gave him a _come and get it_ look and hurried out of the room as I heard him sit up. Seconds later he came into the kitchen in just his boxers. I was in front of the fridge, trying to figure out something fast and easy to make, when he came up behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. I leaned back into him, enjoying his warmth.

"Let me take you out, love," he said, his lips brushing across my ear. I turned enough so I could look at him over my shoulder. "Where do you want to go?"

He shrugged and pulled me back into the bedroom, going over to my pile of clothes and picking up, bringing the bundle to me. I reached for it but he just pulled me to him and kissed me with enough passion to curl my toes. When he pulled away and released my clothes into my care, I was panting. "Are you sure you want to go out?"

He grinned at me and pulled on his jeans. "Don't worry. I'll make you scream again later tonight." I felt things low in my body tighten at his words and fumbled with my own jeans.

Ten minutes later we were both dressed and I was relatively satisfied that my makeup and hair were in order. I couldn't very well go out looking like I'd just had the best sex of my life. Jasper waited patiently while I locked up then led me down to his bike, his arm never leaving my waist. He climbed on first, handing me the second helmet. I swung my leg over the back and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist as he took off.

**Edward POV**

I spent the morning back in the gym and was no closer to figuring out my problems then I had been last night. On the bright side, I wasn't frustrated about the whole situation anymore. No, now I was just angry. Angry that he'd come looking for me. Angry that he hadn't stayed in jail. Angry that he wanted to drag me back into the life I'd worked so hard to escape.

I went home and showered, standing under the hot water until it ran cold and I was shivering. I dressed in dark jeans and a black Parental Advisory t-shirt, towel drying my hair after I was dressed. I wandered into the kitchen, lost in my own thoughts and not paying much attention to my surroundings. It was my house, after all. I knew it pretty well.

I was digging around in my fridge for something to eat when I heard a shoe scuff across the tile in the kitchen. I straightened too quickly and knocked the back of my head on one of the shelves inside the refrigerator. I turned, my hand rubbing the now sore spot on the back of my head.

James was standing there, leaning against the counter. His black leather jacket was open over a black wife beater, the jeans from last night encasing his legs. His hair, longer then it had been before his time in jail, falling to his shoulders, was pulled into a tight tail at the back of his neck. He looked menacing, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched.

I felt my own teeth clack shut and fought the urge to curl my hands into fists. It figures he'd wait until he could get me alone to show me just how pissed he was at me. Around Emmett, he'd have played a part, knowing full well that Emmett wanted nothing more then to kill him. Around me, there was no need to pretend. I'd never been able to stand up to him in the past. He'd held too much over me.

He stood there, silent, staring me down. I met his glare with one of my own, no longer scared of him or his influence. I'd cleaned up and toughened up since then. So, I broke the silence first. "What do you want, James?"

His nostrils flared as he inhaled. When he spoke, his voice was soft and deadly with barely controlled rage. "You put me in prison, Edward." I acknowledge his accusation with a single, terse nod. I'd testified at his trial and it was no secret that I'd been pivotal in putting him behind bars. "I should kill you for that."

I smiled, though there was nothing funny about this. No, my smile was definitely bitter. "But you won't."

He arched a blonde brow, questioning. "And what's going to stop me?"

I reached into the still open fridge, pulling out a soda and shutting the door. I popped the tab and deliberately turned my back on him to grab a bag of chips off the counter behind me. When I turned back to him, he was furious, having read my intended insult when I turned around.

I munched on a few chips before answering his question. "If you were going to kill me, you'd have done it already. And you wouldn't have let Emmett know you were in town. If I turn up dead now, he'll come after you." I smirked at him, feeling the tension in my chest ease a bit. Emmett was the only person who ever really scared James. And I was the only one who could ever really keep Emmett in check.

James straightened and looked like he was about to say something particularly nasty when he was interrupted by the sound of Beck's 'Farewell Ride' coming from my back pocket. I shifted, pulling out my phone and checking the caller ID. Bella. Fuck this was not a good time. I glanced up at James before once again turning my back to him and heading to the back door. I slid the glass door to the side and stepped out into the backyard, sliding the door closed behind me.

I flipped the phone open, putting it to my ear. "Bella. Hey." I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips, even with the knowledge of who was waiting for me back in the house.

"Hey. How are you?" she asked, her soft voice making things low in my body stir. _Can it, Edward_, I thought.

"I'm good." And I was. Now, anyway. But I needed to get her off the phone before James got too curious and came outside. "But I'm a little busy. Can I call you back a little later?"

She hesitated and I could only imagine how she took that. From what I knew of her, she was probably thinking I just didn't want to talk to her. "Um, yeah. That's fine." And the tone of her voice pretty much confirmed what I had guessed.

"Don't worry, Bella. We're still going out tonight. I've just got some errands to run before then." I put a smile in my voice so she wouldn't think I was trying to get rid of her.

"Okay. What time, do you think?" she asked, sounding a little more confident. Hopefully she'd stay that way.

I glanced at my watch. It was only a little after one. "Mm, I'll call you around six."

I heard paper rustling on her end and wondered what she was doing. Something school related probably. "Sounds good. I'll talk to you at six, then."

I grinned, running my free hand through my hair. "Okay, then. See you soon."

We said our goodbyes and I stood on my back porch, my hand wrapped around my phone. I took a deep breath, the happy feelings I got when I was talking to her disappearing as soon as I could no longer hear her voice. And then I heard a voice I wished would just go away.

"So you have a girlfriend, now." It wasn't a question. I turned to see James leaning against the open door. I hadn't heard him open it and didn't know how long he'd been there. Not good. I definitely didn't want him to know about Bella.

"No," I said, voice tight. "I don't." And it was true. We had only been on one date and that had been me showing up and praying she didn't have plans. After tonight, maybe we'd be officially 'dating'. But at the point in time, I could honestly say she wasn't my girlfriend.

James' smile was smug. "Always splitting hairs, Edward. I saw your face and you're taking her out tonight. You like this girl, whoever she is." I didn't like the way he said the last sentence. Like he was curious about who she was and was determined to find out. Not good. Not good, at all.

"Look, James. Do you have a reason for being here?" I was irritated and no longer able to hide it. I wanted him gone, out of my home, out of my city. Just gone.

He stood, uncrossing his arms and came to stand less then two feet away from me. I could have reached out and touched him. "I'm here because I want to be. And I'm here because I want you back in my employ." He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "And we both know I always get what I want." Arrogant son of a bitch.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. "Not this time, James. I'm no longer your bitch to control with drugs and women."

He laughed, the sound pure evil. "You were an addict then, Edward, and you're an addict now. A college degree and a new home doesn't change who you are."

I clenched my jaw, meeting his deadly gaze. We were nearly the same height. I'd never noticed before. "You need to leave, James. Before I show you just how much who am I has changed."

He smirked at me. "Oh, I'll leave. But I'll be back. First, though, I think I'll go pay a visit to your girlfriend. Bella, isn't it?" I lost control then and punched him, my fist coming in at blinding speed and connecting with his face. He stumbled back, his hand against his bleeding lip. He looked at the blood on his fingers then at me and laughed, licking the blood from his lips.

"Touchy, touchy." Despite the fact that he was bleeding freely he looked more amused then anything.

I took a step forward, toward him, ready to hit him again. "Stay away from her and stay away from me." I felt the words low in my throat, the sound full of rough gravel. A lesser man would have wet his pants but James wasn't that smart when it came to people he thought he owned.

"Don't worry. I won't bother your girlfriend. So long as you come when I call." I wanted to hit him again and knock that smug look off his face. But I knew if I did, he'd probably kill me then go after Bella and her friends anyway. He never went anywhere unarmed and I highly doubted he would start now. Just because he hadn't pulled a weapon out, didn't mean there wasn't one there.

James straightened and walked back into the house. I heard the front door open and close and a car start up in front of my house. I stood on my back porch, fuming, for what seemed like hours. My phone ringing again dragged me out of my enraged daze and back to reality. The reality where James was damned and determined to start his trade up in Seattle. That's the only reason I could think of why he'd be here.

I didn't have to look at the caller ID to know who was calling. Emmett had his own ring tone. And when I answered, I didn't bother with niceties. "James was here."

Whatever Emmett had been trying to say when I answered, he stopped. He was silent for a few seconds. Then, "Are you okay?"

I growled under my breath and went back inside, double checking all the locks on the windows and doors. Not that anything short of a dozen deadbolts would keep James out. "I hit him." Short, terse answers when I was angry. Long explanations were for someone who a calmer temper.

"Why?" But Emmett knew how to get the vital information.

"You were right. He wants me back working for him." I paced in my living room, agitated movements that did nothing to relieve my anger.

Emmett sighed and I could imagine he was doing the same in his apartment. "Alright. I'm going to call Jasper and explain things to him. What are you doing tonight?"

I considered lying and telling him I planned on spending the evening at home. And just as quickly decided against that idea. "I'm taking Bella out."

I could almost hear Emmett's teeth snapping together. "Edward, that is a supremely bad idea."

"He already knows about her, Emmett," I said, my anger leaving me in a rush. I sat down on my recliner, cradling my head in my free hand. "He overheard when I was talking to her earlier."

He sighed again and I leaned back in the chair. "You do know how to complicate things, don't you?" He thought for a minute before asking, "Don't suppose you'd consider telling her you don't want to see her anymore?"

If Emmett could have seen the look on my face I wouldn't even have to answer that. "Don't suppose I would."

"Great," he said. "Alright. I guess if you of all people are going to fall for a girl, you're bound to pick the most perfect time to do it." And that was the last he said on the subject.

After I hung up with Emmett and immediately called Bella. I had the intense urge to get her in my sights so I could better protect her. James had said he would leave her alone and, while he had been known before to keep his word, I still didn't trust him.

"Hello?" she whispered. Why was she whispering?

"Hey," I said, feeling instantly calmer. How did she do that? "What are you doing right now?"

"Research. What's up?" Research. She was probably at the library, then. That would explain the whispering.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out a little earlier?" And maybe consider moving in with me so I could keep an eye on you twenty-four seven. Fat chance.

"Yeah, sure. Can you come pick me up, though? My roommate dropped me off." I could hear the smile in her voice and felt an answering one on my face.

"Sure. Where are you?" She confirmed she was at the campus library and I gave myself five points for figuring that out. I told her I'd pick her up in half an hour and hung up.

As soon as I was off the phone with her I began to wonder what the hell I was doing. I should take Emmett's suggestion and tell her to find someone else. I knew full well that I'd be putting her in danger if James decided he wanted to take things to a new level. But I was selfish and she made me feel happier and more relaxed then I had in a long while. I needed her.

I laughed at myself as I stood up. "Brilliant, Edward, my man. Now you sound like a stalker." I had only known her for three days. What the hell was wrong with me? I shook my head and decided it was stress. After all, James had shown up right after I met her. So I was clinging to her like a lifeline. It made sense. Kind of.

Whatever the reasoning behind my attraction to her, I needed to get going. If I was going to never see her again, I wasn't going to do it by telling her I'd pick her up then just never show. I only did that to the girls' I _really _didn't want to see again.

I considered what James had said about me being an addict. He was right, I had been. He'd used my addictions to keep me around, hanging drugs and beautiful women over my head. I hadn't had the strength nor the inclination to break free of him so long as he kept me supplied. And now that I was free of the drugs, free of the whores, free of that life, I had no addictions. Except one.

I grabbed my keys from the counter and got into my Volvo, backing out of the garage and taking off toward the campus library to pick up my new brand of heroin.

--

_**I'm amazed and thrilled at the number of reviews I got last chapter. Though I have to wonder if it was the threat of emo, doesn't-get-laid Edward that did it, or that the chapter was just that good. : ): ): ) Hopefully you guys will like this chapter just as much. **_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Sorry this took so long. I've had it done for a while, but I've been trying to wait for to catch up on chapters but they're backed up so it might be a little while. I've already got chapter 8 and I'm just waiting to get it back from my beta. Depending on how long Twilighted takes to catch up, I might wait to post chapter 8. No later than next Friday, though. Promise! :)_**

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**James POV**

"James, are you listening to me?"

I dragged my attention away from the girl across the street and back to the conversation I was supposed to be having. "Yeah, sorry." I shifted the phone to my other ear, sipping on the coffee I didn't really want.

"What has you so distracted?" Amusement colored his voice.

I felt the smirk on my lips as my eyes darted back to the girl sitting in front of the library. "A plan."

"To bring Edward back?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Yes. He has his attentions focused on a girl. And now, so do I."

A dark chuckle reached my ears. "What's your plan?"

I detailed my thoughts to him, getting the approval I was expecting. "Excellent. Keep me informed." The line went dead and I closed my phone.

I took a drink of coffee and looked back to Edward's girl just as she was pulling a laptop out of her backpack. I wondered, not for the first time, what Edward saw in her. I'd been watching her for a few days now and had yet to figure out what drew him to her. She was nothing like the girls he used to go after.

I watched her for a few minutes, trying to see what Edward saw. Sure, she was pretty but she wasn't anything special. Very girl-next-door in my opinion. Not at all what Edward used to go for.

Sighing, I stood and dumped my coffee in the trash. I needed to get closer to her for my plan to work, earn her trust. Maybe even draw her affections away from Edward. It shouldn't be that difficult.

I was about to cross the street and see what I could do when I saw a silver Volvo pull into the parking lot beside the library. Of course he'd be here. She was probably waiting on him.

Edward got out of his car and made his way down the sidewalk toward her. I leaned against the covered bus stop in front of the coffee house and watched him. It didn't take long for him to feel my gaze and look up, just like I expected. The years may have changed his perspective but they certainly hadn't made him any less cautious.

His steps faltered and he stopped. I could see his jaw clench as he glared at me and I just smiled, giving him a little wave and indicating he should keep walking. His thoughts were obvious as they flew across his face. He was furious. And rightly so. My plans for his little love interest were definitely not going to make him happy with me.

I flicked my eyes over to his Bella and he followed my gaze, his decision made. I knew he'd get her out of harms way before trying to deal with me. I watched him take a deep breath and calmly walk the rest of the way to the bench she was occupying, sitting down beside her. He was the very picture of calm and relaxed.

I smirked to myself, wondering if she had even an inkling of how much he was hiding from her. Of how much danger she was in because of him. I had a feeling if she did know; she would run screaming and never look back. The thought amused me, more so because I was pretty sure I could get her to run straight into my arms.

Edward looked over at me again while she was putting her laptop back in her backpack. I pushed away from the bus stop and saluted him before walking away. I needed a little more information to be able to put my plan into action. Sliding into my car, I headed to Bella's apartment.

**Bella POV**

I was waiting outside the campus library ten minutes after I got off the phone with Edward, sitting on a bench in front of the building with my laptop open across my knees. I'd been a little surprised when he'd called me back so quickly, asking if we could go out earlier. I'd thought for sure when he said he was busy, he meant busy with not wanting to talk to me. Or busy with another girl.

I shook my head, pausing in what I was typing. Stop being such an idiot, Bella. Even if he was with another woman, you've only known him for a weekend. You don't have any reason to be mad or jealous.

Looking back over what I'd been typing, I had to delete a full two paragraphs. I don't think my professors would want to read my internal rants in the middle of my thesis paper. Might not go over so well.

I was fully immersed in my thoughts, putting together a decent introduction to my paper, when I felt the presence of someone sitting down on the bench beside me. I pulled my eyes away from the computer screen to see who it was and instantly felt better.

"Hey, beautiful." His melodic voice rang in my ears.

"Hey, yourself. You said half an hour." Edward shrugged, stretching his arm across the back of the bench and around my shoulders.

"No traffic," he responded. I arched an eyebrow at him. He smiled that crooked smile and shrugged again. "And I drove really fast."

I smiled, shaking my head as I saved my work and shut down my computer, slipping the slender machine back into the backpack between my feet. "So what did you want to do today? You said it was a surprise." I stood, bending to pick up my bag.

He wrapped his hand around the strap of my backpack before I could and stood, slinging it onto his own shoulders. He grunted under the weight. "Damn, woman. What do you have in here?"

It was my turn to shrug and smile. "Laptop, notebooks, textbooks, odds and ends."

"Feels more like the whole damn library." He mumbled before offering me another smile to ease the teasing in his words.

I frowned at him, slapping his arm playfully with the back of my hand. "Then give it back if you can't handle it."

He reached out, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me to him. He held me against his body, enveloping me in his sweet scented warmth. I'd never met anyone else who smelled as good as he did. "Don't worry, love, I can handle it. And then some." There was a heated teasing in his gaze that made my cheeks flush.

He chuckled as I dipped my head, focusing on the ground and putting one foot in front of the other. His arm dropped from around my waist and I felt the loss immediately, almost as if my safety net had fallen away. Before I could even consider the implications of _that _thought, I felt his hand brush mine, his fingers sliding though my own and giving a gentle squeeze.

I smiled, an uncontrollable curl of my lips, and looked back up at him. He gave me his most dazzling smile and I felt my knees go weak. Force of will alone kept me standing, moving forward.

When we reached his Volvo, he unlocked the doors and set my backpack on the backseat, opening the passenger side door and holding it for me. I settled in and buckled my seatbelt as he went around to the driver's side and got in.

"So," I tried again. "Where are we going?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out of the parking lot, taking my hand in his again and settling our linked fingers on his thigh. "Have you eaten?"

Just the mention of eating made my stomach growl and Edward chuckled again, answering his own question. "Guess not."

We ended up halfway across town, parked in front of a little Italian restaurant that I had never heard of. I had my door opened before he could get around to it and was halfway out of the car when I displayed, once again, just how much of a klutz I was.

"Whoa, now." Edward's arms around my waist kept me from a meet and greet with the pavement. "Maybe next time you should let me be a gentleman." He smiled down at me and I blushed. I felt his fingers brush my hair back from my face and his lips press to my forehead. "Don't be embarrassed, Bella. Please." I met his emerald gaze and felt my breath catch in my throat.

He chuckled and made sure I was steady on my feet before pressing his soft lips to my own. The kiss was brief and oh so chaste, but I still felt faint. My vision was tunneling when he whispered, "Breathe." A deep breath cleared my vision and left me with a headache from the lack of oxygen. And, go figure, I blushed again.

Edward smiled his crooked smile and led me into the little restaurant, his hand on the small of my back. The hostess faltered mid-greeting, her eyes glued to the man beside me. Edward tried to hide his amusement as he asked for a table for two and the hostess led us to a small table in the middle of the restaurant.

I started to sit down when his hand around my elbow stopped me. I looked questioningly back at him. "Some place a little more private, please?" He slipped something into the hostess's hand but she barely noticed, her eyes turning to me with a look dripping pure jealousy. I flinched back from that hostile gaze, feeling Edward's arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me closer to him.

The hostess turned on her heel and led us to a table in the back corner of the restaurant, placing two menus on the table. Edward held my chair out for me before taking his place across from me.

I looked over the menu and decided what I wanted before putting it to the side. Edward reached his hands across the table, taking one of my hands in both of his. His eyes were focused on our hands, an expression I couldn't decipher on his face. He looked like he was struggling with something.

Before I could ask him what was wrong, our server came over. She was pretty, tall and blonde, wearing tight black slacks and a low cut, white, button down dress shirt. I was pretty sure the restaurant's uniform didn't require such a show of jiggling cleavage but I guess she wanted to be different. Or easy. Take your pick.

She had a bright smile on her face but it was directed entirely at Edward. "Edward, hey. I didn't expect to see you here." Her voice was irritating in my ears but that might have just been the sudden jealousy I felt. And the blow my self-esteem took.

Edward didn't look nearly as excited to see her. "Hello, Jessie. I didn't know you worked here."

She grinned and turned her body slightly in an attempt to ignore my very existence. "I told you that when we went out last week. Remember, at Catrina's?" No, her voice was definitely irritating.

Catrina's was one of the most expensive restaurants in the Seattle area. And Edward had taken her there. On a date, apparently. I felt my shoulders hunch and I pulled my hand out of his, putting both of mine in my lap. Why did I even for a minute think that this gorgeous man would be interested in me when he had girls like Jessie falling all over him?

I kept my eyes down on the table so I couldn't see Edward's face but I heard his words. "No, Jessie. I don't remember. I don't remember anything about our conversation that night. You didn't hold my attention long enough for me to care. That's why I didn't take you out again. Now, if you are interested in keeping this job, I would suggest you apologize to my girlfriend." I looked up, startled. His expression was furious and all that fury focused on Jessie.

Her eyes widened at him and her stance changed from flirty to defensive. "I haven't done anything, Edward."

His eyes never left her face. "Yes, you have. You deliberately brought up our date and implied I took you somewhere I wouldn't take Bella. You and I both know the only reason we went to Catrina's is because your friend paid for it as part of a group date. Now apologize, before I bring your manager over here."

Jessie looked more than a little offended at his words but she turned to me and muttered a swift apology before taking off in the direction of the kitchen. I watched her practically run away from our table, my own eyes wide. When she disappeared I turned back to Edward.

He had his elbow on the table, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed and his expression one of annoyance. "I'm sorry about that, Bella. If I'd known she'd be here I would have taken you somewhere else. We can leave, if you would like." He opened his eyes and met mine.

I couldn't speak for a minute, too astounded at what he'd said on my behalf to be able to form a coherent sentence. When I could finally remember how to speak English, all I could squeak out was, "Girlfriend?"

He stared at me for a second before he smiled, looking down at the table, his finger tracing random patterns on the tablecloth. "Yeah, sorry. That was very forward of me." He cleared his throat and looked back up at me, putting his hand palm up on the table, giving me an expectant look. I hesitated before putting my hand in his. His fingers closed around mine and I met his eyes again. "I'm not one for putting titles on things but this is technically our second date. Isn't that usually the way you refer to someone you're dating?"

I was back to not being able to speak so I just nodded. My heart was pounding in my chest, feeling like it was trying to beat its way free and fly away. If he was willing to put a title on our dating, that meant he was going to be around for a while. Right?

A new server came to our table and we didn't see Jessie at all after that. We ate in a comfortable silence; both of us immerged in our own thoughts. I kept stealing glances at him over our food, looking away and blushing when he would catch me and smile.

After we left the restaurant he took me to a movie and then out to a late dinner, not letting me pay for a single thing. After dinner, which was thankfully free of any jealous hostesses and servers, we went for a walk around the harbor, taking in the sight of the moonlight reflecting off the water.

A gentle breeze was coming off the water and I snuggled against Edward's side, his arm tight around me. He pressed a kiss on the top of my head as we walked. I didn't want this night to end, didn't want to let him go, didn't want to say goodbye. Mental sigh.

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice brought me out of my increasingly depressing thoughts.

I looked up at him when he stopped our forward progress. "Hmm?"

I watched his expression as he debated something with himself, wondering what was going on in his head. After a moment, his expression cleared and he smiled down at me, his hand coming up to my face and brushing across my cheek. I nuzzled against his hand.

"I think I should probably get you home." He whispered and I sighed, opening my eyes to meet his. I just nodded and he led us back to the car, helping me in before getting in himself. The drive back to my apartment was quiet but the silence wasn't strained. He kept hold of my hand the whole time, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of it, sending warmth all the way up my arm from that little point of contact.

When he pulled into my parking lot, I noticed Rose's BMW was missing. I frowned as the same time Edward sighed. I looked at him. "Everything okay?"

He looked over at me before nodding toward a bike parked on the sidewalk. "Jasper's here."

"He was here when I left." I blushed at the thought of walking into the apartment right then. There was no telling where they were or how little clothes they had on.

Edward chuckled and put the car in reverse. "We'll go to my house for a little while and I'll bring you back later."

My heart sped up at the thought of spending more time with him. _Get a hold of yourself, Bella. You barely know this guy. _I berated myself. And then my inner voice responded with a simple, _So what? He is your boyfriend now, right? It's not like he is a complete stranger. _Good point.

It took less than ten minutes for us to pull into his garage, right next to the bike I'd only seen once and had secretly dreamed of taking a ride on someday. I blushed at the thought and was glad it was dark in the garage.

I followed him into the kitchen and looked around. The house wasn't huge but it was comfortable and felt like a home.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked.

I looked back at him where he was standing by the fridge. "Do you have any soda?" I didn't really want anything alcoholic right then. Lowering my inhibitions might not be the best thing.

He pulled out two cans and handed me one, leading us into the living room. "Pick a movie," he said, gesturing to the entertainment center while he went back to the kitchen. I heard popcorn popping a few seconds later and I laughed as I went over to his collection. "Déjà vu, anyone?"

He chuckled and I grabbed a movie almost at random as he came back into the room. I handed the movie to him and he loaded it into his DVD player, returning to the kitchen when the timer went off on the microwave. I hunted for the remote as he came back into the living room, going to sit on the couch as I found what I was looking for. I joined him on the couch, sitting closer to him than I had when he'd been at my apartment. It's amazing what twenty-four hours will do to your comfort level.

The popcorn bowl was half empty when I felt my eyes getting heavy. I hadn't even realized how tired I was. I tried to keep my eyes open and watch the movie but being snuggled up against Edward, comfortable and warm, it wasn't long before I drifted off. The thought crossed my mind that I should tell him to take me home but I was out before I could make my mouth say anything.

**Emmett POV**

I glanced at the clock for probably the hundredth time since I'd gotten to the pool hall an hour earlier, wondering if she would actually show. It was coming up on eight o'clock now and I found myself glancing over at the door every time I checked the clock. The bartender came over and passed another beer my way while I was distracted.

The pool hall was made up of two levels; the top level was a bar and restaurant where you could get decent food while the second, lower level was all pool tables and a few electronic dart boards along one wall. The sound of balls hitting each other was a constant background noise.

My attention was brought back to the bar when a pair of long legs brushed up against mine, their owner sliding on the stool next to me. She was tall, leggy and definitely not blonde. She was cute though, and if I hadn't spent the entire day fantasizing about a certain blonde goddess, I might have enjoyed this girl's company.

"Hey there, handsome," she said, giving me a very nice smile that promised naughty things. I returned her smile, taking a drink from my beer as she asked, "Are you here by yourself?"

I was about to open my mouth to reply when the most seductive voice I had ever heard answered. "No, honey, he's with me." I turned and leaned my back against the bar, elbows braced against the wood. Rosalie was looking at the brunette with pure venom in her eyes.

"Sorry, love," I said to the unknown girl, never taking my eyes off of Rosalie. "Maybe next time." I barely noticed when she walked off, too busy taking in the beauty before me. She was dressed in a denim mini skirt that covered just enough of her ass to be decent and a low cut sleeveless top that showed an amazing amount of cleavage without being even the least bit trashy. A pair of black knee-high boots completed her outfit and made my dick stand at attention.

"Are we going to play pool or are you going to stare at me all night?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and started down the stairs to the lower level. I groaned, shifting my erection to a more comfortable position before following after her.

She was already setting up a rack on one of the empty tables in the corner, rearranging the balls into the right order. Guess I was breaking.

I picked a stick from the available selection and lined up the cue ball, shooting it down to the cluster and watching as two solids fell into pockets. Rosalie leaned on the end of the table, right in my line of sight as I lined up another shot. She bent her elbows, leaning forward under the guise of checking out my shot and I got a nice view right down her shirt. My shot was off by a mile and she smirked. Oh, she was going to get it.

"Nice miss, Emmett." Her voice was amused. She stalked around the table and right into my personal space. I caught a whiff of her perfume and had the intense urge to bend her over the table and take her in front of the whole world.

Her fingers wrapped around my pool stick and she slid herself in front of me, between my body and the table. My whole body was buzzing with the contact, as if an electric current was soaring through my veins. She turned so her back was to my chest and bent over the table, forcing me to take a step back and dragging a strangled groan from my throat as she pressed her ass right up against my dick.

My hands went to her hips without any directions to do so from my brain as she took her shot. She knocked one of her balls into the pocket and glanced back at me over her shoulder, lifting herself up until her spine was curved up slightly and her ass was firm against me. Holy fucking hell, this woman was amazing.

I felt my fingers tighten on her hips as I yanked her back against me, grinding myself against her as I leaned in, my lips against her ear. "If you keep this up, I'm going to hike that skirt up and fuck you senseless in front of everybody until the cops come and arrest me." My voice was a low, husky whisper.

"Mm, is that a promise?" She asked, rotating her hips in my grasp. I growled under my breath and dropped one hand down to her thigh, digging my short nails into her skin and dragging them up, pushing her skirt up. She gasped and turned around to face me.

I smirked at her and stepped forward, pressing myself against her. "What's it gonna be? Would you like to stay and finish the game, or go so I can make you scream?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her honey eyes again, it was with a new resolve and her hands went to my hips. She pushed against me and I took a step back. "Let's play and then we'll see who's going to be screaming later."

I could have shot a load right then. Rosalie grabbed the pool stick and bent over to take another shot. She made the next two shots, missing the third. By that time I was more than willing to say to hell with the game and take her outside. Every time she bent over the table to take a shot, I got a glimpse of her perfect ass barely covered by black lace. And every time she bent over, I had to adjust myself as my erection throbbed under its denim restraint.

I took my turn, sinking all but one of my remaining balls, missing the last because she picked that time to wrap her arm around my hips and brush her hands against the front of my jeans. So that was how we were going to play, was it?

I stood and turned to look at her. She was leaning her ass against the table beside me, looking at me with an amused smirk. I reached my foot out, kicking her foot to the side and pulling her leg between both of mine, holding it in a firm grip so she couldn't close her legs. I leaned in against her side as my hand dropped once again down to her thigh, this time trailing up the inside and under her skirt.

"You played with fire, Rosalie," I said as I rubbed my hand over her panties, feeling her heat through the damp lace. She gasped and turned a wide-eyed look to me. She started to turn her head to look behind her and see if anyone was watching but my words stopped her. "Don't turn around. And don't make a sound." I slipped my fingers under the lace and into her slick folds.

She whimpered and I fought back a groan. God, she was so wet. I moved my fingers down and pushed two inside her, my thumb finding her clit and rubbing it in firm circles. She bucked her hips against my hand and moaned, loud enough that I looked up to make sure no one had heard her. The nearest players were three tables over and neither of them looked like they had heard anything.

"I said not to make a sound," I growled into her ear, pumping my fingers in and out of her, hard and fast. "Don't make me punish you."

Her hands gripped the edge of the table, fingers white with the effort. She was making tiny little sounds as I slammed my fingers into her, her walls tightening almost painfully around my fingers. "Not a sound!" I growled as I felt her come. The only sound she made was strangled and could easily have been mistaken for someone clearing their throat.

I pulled my fingers out of her and rubbed her folds tenderly before bringing my hand completely out from under her skirt. She was panting, the pool table supporting most, if not all, of her weight. I leaned my hip against the table beside her, a smug grin on my face as I licked and sucked her juices off my fingers, my eyes never leaving hers.

She groaned softly and reached out, grabbing my hand and bringing it to her lips. I watched my fingers disappear into her warm mouth and bit back a groan of my own. Her tongue swirled around my fingers, cleaning what I missed and I made the decision to leave the game.

I pulled my fingers from her mouth reluctantly and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the stairs and out the door. The night was warm with a nice breeze but I barely noticed. We made it to my Jeep and I pulled her to me, pressing her back against the hood as I claimed her lips, my tongue fighting with hers for dominance.

Rosalie's hands moved between us, fingers working the zipper on my jeans and releasing my cock from its confines. I moaned loudly against her mouth and nearly cried out when her hand wrapped around me and started stroking. My breath was coming faster and my hips started pumping in time her stroking.

It took a monumental effort of will to push her hand away and unlock the Jeep. I lifted her and maneuvered us into the backseat, ending with her straddled above me. Through all this, our kiss never broke, never even paused.

I reached up, tangling one of my hands into her hair while my other hand found its way back under her skirt. I twisted her lace panties around my fingers and yanked, hearing a satisfying rip as I destroyed the material. She gasped and jerked against me, rubbing her uncovered sex against my cock. I moaned into her mouth and broke the kiss, trailing my lips down her throat.

My hands moved to her shirt and in one swift move I had it over her head and off her body. Her bra followed seconds later and I was rewarded with a view of the most beautiful breasts I had ever seen. I gripped one in my hand, kneading it as I took her nipple into my mouth. My free hand returned to her wet center and I shoved my fingers back inside her.

Without the threat of someone hearing us, she cried out, arching her back and pressing her chest against my mouth, her hips grinding against my fingers as they moved in and out of her.

I couldn't take it anymore. She whimpered in protest when I removed my mouth from her chest and my fingers from inside her, resting my hands on her denim covered hips. I waited until she opened her eyes and looked at me, angling the tip of my cock against her opening. My hands on her hips kept her from moving without my permission and she whimpered again.

I smirked at her before lifting my hips and slamming myself deep inside her. She screamed and I cried out with her, my fingers digging into her hips hard enough to leave bruises. I used my grip on her and got us moving, pulling her off me and slamming her back down over and over again until she picked up the rhythm. She started rolling her hips in a circle while she rode me and I felt my orgasm coming.

I took control again and shifted us so that she was at a slightly different angle. I held her still and pounded my hips up into her. She was crying out with each thrust and I could feel her tightening around me. It felt so fucking good it was almost painful.

She screamed her release, her fingers digging into my shoulders. One, two, three more thrusts and I followed her, grinding against her as I released into her depths. She collapsed against me and I wrapped my arms around her, easing us down until we were laying on my wide backseat. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest and knew mine was keeping the same pace as hers.

I felt her take a deep breath and let it out. "Wow."

I laughed, brushing her slightly tangled hair away from her face. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

She smirked up at me before pushing herself up and looking around for her clothes. She sat up, sitting on the edge of the bench seat to put her bra and shirt back on. Her panties were ruined.

"Leaving already?" I asked, tucking myself back into my jeans and carefully zipping them up.

She smirked down at me as she ran her fingers through her hair, straightening it out as best she could. "Not by myself."

I grinned up at her and sat up, brushing her hair back off her shoulder so I could kiss her neck. "Your place or mine?"

She pushed the door open and slid out of the Jeep. Her BMW was parked right next to me. I hadn't even noticed. "Yours. Mine's a little crowded, I think."

I just grinned again and led the way across town to my apartment. I had her in my arms before the elevator had even reached my floor and naked before we'd even made it to my bed. She ripped my shirt off my body, no doubt getting back at me for her panties, and shoved my jeans off my hips and down my thighs until I could kick them off.

I pushed her down onto the bed and followed, laying on top of her and grabbing her wrists, pinning them above her head as I leaned in to kiss her senseless. Her hips bucked against mine, letting me know exactly what she wanted. I smiled against her lips and let her wrists go, kissing my way down her body to her sex.

My tongue found her clit and I kissed, licked and bit at her bundle of nerves until she was on the very edge of release. I shoved my fingers into her and sent her over the edge, enjoying the sound of her screams of pleasure. Good thing my neighbors had recently moved out or else they'd be getting an earful.

I crawled back up her body and plunged my cock into her before she even had a chance to recover. She cried out again as I started pumping my hips in and out of her body, enjoying the heated warmth surrounding me. I growled and shifted until I had her legs hooked over my arms, spreading her for me and changing the angle. I pounded into her body, hitting the spot inside her I knew would bring her over the edge more intensely than she'd done yet tonight.

"Oh, fuck," she panted, the last word bleeding into a whimpered moan. "God, yes, Emmett!"

"Fucking hell, Rose, you feel so good," I gasped, my rhythm becoming faster and more erratic as I neared my second orgasm of the night. "Come on, fucking come for me." My voice was a deep growl. I felt her clench around me, her screams drowning out my own as she milked every ounce of my release from me.

I pulled out and collapsed onto my side, rolling over onto my back as she rolled onto her side against me, head resting on my shoulder, her long leg draped over my thigh. My arm automatically wrapped around her upper body, fingers toying with her hair. I took a breath to ask if she wanted to stay the night but I never got around to it as sleep reached up and claimed us both.

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**_Reviews are awesome! 33_**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Post a review (or visit the forum on Twilighted . net **(www . twilighted . net / forum / viewtopic . php?f = 44&t = 1105)** ) and tell me your favorite quote (or quotes) from any of the four (or five, if you count Midnight Sun) books. I'll find a place for your quote suggestion(s) and give you credit for the suggestion in future chapters. The very first quote request I had was "Get in the car" from when Edward finds Bella in Port Angeles. So gimme suggestions :) I promise you'll see them here at some point.

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_Two weeks later…_

**Bella POV**

The last week of classes had been complete hell. The semester was coming to an end, some of the students getting ready to graduate, and the professors were piling the work on us. Not to mention Edward and I had been spending every night on the phone, our lengthy conversations keeping me up well into the night when I should be studying or sleeping.

Friday found me in the library, trying to cram a weeks worth of studying into one afternoon. I had a test on Monday and I hadn't even started studying. I told Edward I probably shouldn't see him tonight, only so I could catch up on the work I was falling behind on. He laughed and agreed; but only after making sure he could come over tomorrow.

I smiled at the thought, pausing in my note taking to remember the kiss we shared when we parted ways last night. Just thinking of his lips on mine sped up my heart and flushed my entire body with tingly warmth. I sighed and shook my head, bringing myself back into the present and what I should be doing.

I passed four hours at the library, going between studying and daydreaming, and by the time I looked out the window, it was dark. A glance at my watch confirmed it was almost seven. The library didn't close until midnight on Friday and I fully intended to get the most out of my study time so I turned my attention back to my notes.

A little over an hour later I stood, gathering the two books I was finished with to put back. I made my way up to the second floor and weaved through the aisles until I found the section I needed. I put the books back exactly where I'd found them five hours earlier and picked out three more to replace them. As I turned to go back downstairs, instead of watching where I was going, my eyes focused on the pages I was flipping through to make sure I could get usable information out of this book when I collided with something very solid and very warm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I scrambled to pick up the books I'd been carrying as well as the handful my roadblock had held. I glanced up as I handed the stack back and gasped at the shy smile that greeted me.

"It's okay." He had knelt down to help me gather the books. He took the books I handed him, his hand brushing across mine, and shifted them under his arm, holding his hand out to me as we both stood. "I'm James."

I fumbled with my books to get one hand free and had just grasped his when they hit the floor again. I sighed, my hand still in his. "I'm… clumsy. I'm sorry."

He grinned and picked them up with one hand, handing them to me and making sure I was steady. "It's nice to meet you, Clumsy. But there's no need to apologize."

I laughed and started back to the stairs. He fell into step beside me. "My name is Bella." I really didn't want to be referred to as 'clumsy', even if it was accurate.

He smiled again and reached over to take my books from me as we started down the stairs. I gave him a questioning look but let him take the books. At this rate, I would trip going down the stairs anyway so I decided to wait until we were past them before I tried to get my books back. "Where are you at? I'll carry them for you."

I sighed and led the way back to the table where I was taking up half the huge piece of wood with my laptop, multiple notebooks and a half dozen books. Not counting the three James added.

He took in the barely organized mess and looked at me, a questioning look in his brown eyes. "What exactly are you studying?"

I shrugged, a little sheepish. "British History and Lit. But I'm multi-taking here." I gestured to the cluttered table. "That's why it's such a mess."

He grinned. "Do you mind if I sit over here with you?" I hesitated, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. He must have sensed it because he quickly added, "Just so I can get some peace. It's distracting to continuously stop my studying to tell random girls that I'm not interested."

I laughed at his comment and relaxed instantly, gesturing for him to find a seat as I sat down myself. He took the chair directly across from mine and I shifted my mess to give him room to spread out. Almost as soon as I sat down, I heard something vibrate somewhere against the table and groaned. My phone was buried.

With James' help I found my phone just as it registered a missed call. I felt the disappointment as I realized it was Edward, immediately cheering up when my phone vibrated with the arrival of a text message.

_**Are you busy? I miss you.**_

I felt my lips curl into a smile as I sat back and sent a response.

_**Only a little busy. Sorry I missed your call, my phone was buried. What are you doing? I miss you more.**_

It only took seconds for his response.

_**Nothing. Wishing you were here with me.**_

My stomach got instant butterflies and I smiled again, my fingers flying over the buttons.

_**I would be with you if you hadn't kept me up all week. Now I need to study. This is your punishment.**_

It took a minute to get his response.

_**Haha, touché. I guess I should let you get back to studying then, since I'm being punished for keeping you from it. Will I see you tonight?**_

I sighed, thinking probably not. I doubted he'd wait till after midnight to see me.

_**I'm not going to be done here until midnight. You'll probably be asleep by then.**_

His response was immediate and made me giddy.

_**I'll pick you up at 12:15**_

I sighed and put my phone aside, looking up to see James watching me. When I caught his gaze, he smiled; his features charming beneath his dark eyes. Everything about him was charming, from his long, well kept hair to his casual dress in jeans and vintage band tee. But in addition to the charm, he also put off the 'bad boy' vibe, though it seemed to be a secondary trait.

"Everything okay?" he asked, having noticed my disappointed sigh. Disappointed because I had to get back to work, not because Edward was picking me up.

I nodded and shifted forward in my chair, digging my pen out of the mess of papers in front of me. "Yeah. Just wishing midnight would get here faster."

He nodded in agreement and gestured toward my phone. "Big plans tonight?"

I shook my head and made a point of getting back to work. "Just hanging out. Big plans are for tomorrow night." I smiled and looked back at my notes, scribbling something out of one of the books.

The last few hours were spent in an easy silence, broken every once in awhile by James asking a question or two about me and my response. I felt relaxed around him, which was unusual for me around strangers. He joked easily, making light of my faults when they came up and politely teasing me about them.

At eleven forty-five, the librarian announced the library would be closing in fifteen minutes. I stood and began the long, tedious task of packing all my stuff. James helped by taking my books and putting them back in their respective places. I gathered my notes and slid them into my backpack, shutting down my laptop and zipping my backpack up after I put the computer away. James was back by then and we walked side by side out the door. The librarian, a little old lady who was sweet as can be, waved goodbye to us and locked the door. We were the last ones out.

The sidewalk out front was empty and the parking lot was devoid of cars. I hadn't driven my truck because the library wasn't too far from my apartment. I didn't mind walking, especially if it saved gas. At least my truck was working now, Rosalie was a genius when it came to engine stuff.

"Do you have a ride, Bella?" James asked, hiking his own backpack further up his shoulder. My backpack was full and weighed nearly as much as I did but his looked nearly empty. I almost envied him.

"Yeah, my boyfriend is picking me up." I glanced at my watch. Still had ten minutes before Edward would get here. Hopefully, he'd get here early.

"Would you like some company until he gets here?"

I glanced over at him and shrugged, going to sit down on the bench by the sidewalk. James sat next to me, his backpack between his feet. We sat and chatted for almost twenty minutes before I checked my phone and frowned. Edward was late and I hadn't heard a word from him in hours. That was odd; he was usually early and he would have called if he was going to be late.

"Everything okay, Bella?" James asked, looking concerned.

I nodded as I hit the SEND button, redialing the last number on my recent calls list. Edward's phone rang once and went straight to voice mail. I left a brief message asking where he was and then texted him.

Ten minutes later I still hadn't gotten a response so I tried to call him again. And again, it went straight to voice mail. I immediately dialed Alice, knowing she was with Jasper tonight.

"Hey, Bella!" Her answer was as bright as everything else she did and I found myself smiling, my worries temporarily alleviated.

"Hey, Alice. Have you heard from Edward?"

I heard her speaking with someone in the background and figured she was asking Jasper the same question. When she came back to the phone, her energy was toned down a little. "No. Neither has Jasper. Is everything okay?" That seemed to be the question of the night.

I sighed and shifted the phone to my other ear. "Yeah. He just said he'd pick me up and he hasn't shown up yet. I can't reach him."

I heard her talking with Jasper again. She came back with, "Try his house phone."

I hadn't even thought about that. I thanked her and hung up, scrolling through my phonebook to find 'Edward Home' and pressed SEND. It rang half a dozen times before going to his answering machine. He wasn't at home, wasn't answering his cell and he wasn't here.

I sighed again and dropped my phone back into my bag, brushing my hair back behind my ears as I stood and slung my bag onto my shoulders. James stood with me, picking his own backpack up.

"Is he on his way?" Worry colored his voice.

I shook my head and checked my watch. It was almost one. "I don't know. I can't get in touch with him. I'm just going to walk; I don't live far."

I started to turn but his hand on my arm stopped me. "Wait, Bella, please. Let me give you a ride home. I don't like the idea of you walking alone at one in the morning. Even if you do live nearby."

I hesitated. I didn't know anything about James and had no idea if I could trust him. For all I knew, he was the very thing I needed to worry about on the dark streets of Seattle.

"Please, Bella? I don't think I could live with myself if I let you go and something happened to you." His voice was full of sincerity and I caved, relaxing under his hand. "Okay."

He smiled and removed his hand, starting down the sidewalk with me at his side. We were a block down the road when I started to get antsy. My apartment was back the other direction and it really wasn't that far. The streets were getting darker as the streetlights became further and further apart.

I finally stopped two and half blocks from the library. "Where are we going, James?"

He stopped and turned, coming back to where I'd stopped. "It's just over there." He gestured to a parking lot at the end of the block. "The library parking lot was full when I got there so I had to find somewhere else to park." He smiled again, trying to ease my fears.

I offered a small, hesitant smile and followed him down to the parking lot he indicated. There were six cars and one streetlight barely illuminating half the lot. James led me to a dark Honda in the corner. The light didn't quite reach out this far. I heard something rustling on the other side of the car, the passenger side, and I stopped, taking a step back. My heart was pounding as three men, all about the same height as James, but muscular, stepped out of the shadows.

I took another step back, looking between the three newcomers and James with wide eyes. James looked angry, his jaw clenched as he looked at the new guys. But he didn't look like he was about to jump to my rescue.

"Hey, sweetheart. What's wrong?" One of the men asked, his voice making me jump and take another step back.

James dropped his head onto the roof of his car, shaking it as if annoyed. I glanced around behind me as I took another step back. The parking lot was surrounded on three sides by a line of bushes with a building taking up the forth side. A single opening allowed cars in and out of the lot. I took another step in that direction.

"Now, now, sweetheart. There's no need to be scared. We aren't going to hurt you." A different voice this time, no less threatening.

I turned on my heel and took off at a dead run toward the parking lot entrance. I could have gone a lot faster without my backpack but I wouldn't have been able to outrun someone with legs twice as long as mine, with or without the bag. Three pairs of pounding feet caught up to me just as I made it back to the sidewalk.

One of them grabbed my backpack and yanked, sending me flying backwards onto my ass. The other two men bent down and grabbed my arms, pulling me back to my feet, laughing as I struggled, trying to get free. James had joined us by then and I looked at him, my eyes pleading.

"Sorry, Bella. You're nice and all, but I need to get to Edward." His voice was no longer the charming warmth I'd heard earlier. Now it was cold and calculating and it terrified me.

I yanked on my arms, trying to get free of the two goons who were holding me. It was no use. Even alone they were stronger than me; together I had absolutely no hope. I looked back at James, hoping to appeal to the part of him I'd seen in the library. "Please don't do this. I just want to go home."

He smiled, but this time it was an almost evil expression. Nothing charming there, how did I miss this earlier? I started trembling and the guy holding my left arm started laughing. "Oh, James, you're scaring her."

James laughed and stepped closer, bringing his hand up to my hair. I jerked my head out of his reach, anger flashing through me, mixing with the fear. How dare they scare me and then laugh about it? Assholes.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed, my voice shaking with fear and anger.

James laughed again as he grabbed my hair, yanking it back to look down into my eyes. "What are you going to do about it, Bella? Call Edward?" He sneered the name, dropping his lips to hover right above mine. "He's not coming. I made sure of that." And then, as my eyes widened and my heart started racing at the implication of his next move, he kissed me. As I cringed away from him I bit his lip. Hard.

He hissed and pulled back. I held on until I tasted blood. When I let go, he put a hand to his lip, wiping the blood away. I had no idea where that instinct came from and I stared at him wide-eyed, immediately wishing I hadn't done it. He looked at the blood smeared on his hand and then back at me. He arm shot out and before I could even flinch, he backhanded me. My cheek stung and tears formed in my eyes. I refused to let them fall.

I heard tires squealing seconds before a silver car turned into the parking lot, coming to an abrupt stop right where James and his goons were standing, scattering all four of them. The two guys holding my arms released me, throwing me to the ground with enough force to make me slide a foot or two.

Edward was out of the car before it had even really stopped, stalking toward the group. He barely even spared a glance at me, saying only, "Get in the car." He didn't yell or even raise his voice but the threat and the danger posed in his tone was more than enough. It scared me at the same time it made things low in my body clench.

I didn't take time to analyze _that_ reaction. I just stood and stumbled over my own feet on the way to the car. Edward had reached James and I turned in time to see my boyfriend deliver a punch that sent James to the ground.

"I told you not to touch her." His voice held so much menace it scared even me.

James got back to his feet, his three goons behind him. Edward ignored them, focusing his attention on their ringleader. "Since when did I listen to you, Edward? If I remember correctly, it was you who did what _I_ said." His voice was smug and I had time to think he shouldn't have said that before Edward punched him again.

The three guys surged forward at once and Edward was suddenly blocked from my view. I screamed, suddenly scared that he'd be hurt or killed because he'd come to my rescue. I heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh and then one of the guys, the first one who spoke to me, fell backward, his nose flat against his face in a pool of blood.

The next one fell back against the hood of the Volvo, giving Edward time to reach up and twist the third guy's head. I heard a wet _snap _and then the guy dropped like a rock. The last guy bounced off the hood of the Volvo only to introduce his face to Edward's boot. I heard something break and the guy fell back, nose flat just like the first one.

Edward turned back to James, who had moved away from the fight, fuming. "Do you know how much those guys cost?"

Edward snorted and took a menacing step forward. "I warned you, James. I fucking warned you."

The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. I wondered who had called the police but dismissed the thought in favor of the one where we should get the hell out of here. Like now.

"Edward, please. Let's go," I begged, bouncing on the balls of my feet anxiously.

Edward didn't look back at me but his stance changed. James noticed this, too. "Yes, Edward. Leave. Go take care of your girlfriend. But remember, it's your fault she's in this position. It's your fault her life is over."

My heart stuttered at his words and before Edward could even say anything, James turned and took off, disappearing into the shadows further down the street. Edward ran back to the car as I got in and put it in gear, speeding away. We turned the corner just as I saw police lights at the other end of the street.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I couldn't seem to get enough air, even with the gulping mouthfuls I was taking. We pulled into Edward's garage and he shut the car off, shoving his door open and getting out of the car. He came around to my side yanked me out, pulling me immediately into his arms and holding me tightly.

I instantly felt safer, calmer; though I still couldn't get my breathing under control.

"Shh, Bella. It's okay. Calm down." His strained whisper brushed my ear, not helping me be calm at all. He was still way too stressed to help me calm down.

He must have realized this because he took a deep breath himself before brushing his hand through my hair. "Breathe with me, Bella." He took slow, even breaths and after a few seconds I found his rhythm, taking a breath and letting it out when he did.

"Much better," he murmured, moving his hands to my arms just above my elbows and pulling me back just enough so he could see my face. I didn't even realize I was crying until he brought a hand up and wiped the tears away. Once I realized, I couldn't stop.

I started shaking and the tears fell unhindered. Edward pulled me against him again, holding me tightly and murmuring soothing words in my ear that I barely heard.

I don't know how long he stood there, just holding me, but finally my tears subsided. I was still trembling but it wasn't as bad. Edward turned without a word, his arm wrapping around my waist, and led me into his house. I was still wearing my backpack so he helped me out of it, leaving it on the floor as he helped me into one of the dining room chairs.

He knelt in front of me, taking both of my hands in his and looking up into my eyes. "Bella? Did he hurt you?"

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I pulled one hand from his and brushed my fingers over my cheek. I could feel the sting still and knew with my pale complexion, he'd be able to see the mark. His jaw clenched as he reached up, brushing the spot. I winced.

He looked back into my eyes. "You had blood on your face when I arrived." He brushed his fingers over my chin, indicating where the blood had been. I must have wiped it off sometime during the altercation.

I nodded slowly, more times than necessary. I had to concentrate to make myself stop. I swallowed and brushed my fingers across my lips. "I bit him." I didn't even recognize my own voice. It wasn't the voice of me, Bella, the recently turned twenty-one year old college student. It was the voice of a child.

Edward looked pained and I knew that he heard it. "Is that why he hit you?"

I nodded and he brushed his hand across my uninjured cheek. "Why did you bite him?"

My fingers were still on my lips and though I opened my mouth to speak, nothing came out. I just shook my head, before dropping my chin down and biting down on my bottom lip. Edward searched my expression for a minute before speaking. "He kissed you, didn't he?"

I could only nod, letting out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. Edward leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. "I'm not upset with you, Bella," he said, voicing a fear I hadn't even realized I had. "Please don't be afraid to tell me what happened."

He pushed himself slowly to his feet, holding on to my hands. "I need to make a phone call. Will you be okay for a minute?"

I started to nod and he let go of my hands. I felt my panic return uncontrollably and I reached out, clutching at Edward's hand again. He looked back down at me and his features softened. He pulled me to my feet and wrapped me back in his arms, grabbing the phone without letting go of me. He dialed as he walked us down the hallway toward his bedroom. By that time, whoever he was calling had picked up.

"Emmett, James attacked Bella." Emmett and I had grown close in the last two weeks, ever since Rosalie brought him to the apartment and I walked in on them having sex on the kitchen counter. He acted like my big brother now, taking the fact that I was the youngest of the six of us - us three girls and our wonderful boyfriends - a little too seriously.

I heard Emmett's raised voice on the other end even though it was just buzzing in my ears. I could barely make out Edward's response. "He wants me bad enough to use her to get me. I need you here, now."

Emmett said something and it was soft enough that I couldn't make out the words.

"I know that, Emmett. But it's too late to do anything now." And he hung up without waiting for a response.

We were in his bedroom now. He picked me up with one arm under my knees and the other behind my shoulders, laying me in the center of the bed before crawling into the bed behind me. His arms wrapped around me, the fingers of one hand brushing my hair back so he could place a kiss on my ear.

I was suddenly exhausted and despite the fact that I should be wide awake, I yawned. I felt Edward smile against my hair. "Sleep, my love. I'll watch over you." I let out another shaky breath before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

**Edward POV**

To say I was furious would have been the biggest understatement of all time. I could feel the rage burning through my veins and the desire to go hunt that asshole down and pull him apart limb from limb was so strong, I could barely contain it. But one glance at my Bella, shifting restlessly in her sleep, kept me from bolting out of the bed to hunt James down.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Bella needed me now more than I needed to kill my old friend.

I heard the front door open and turned to listen. Emmett's voice reached me and I relaxed, carefully extracting myself from around Bella and pulling the covers over her. I made sure she was still asleep before I left the room, closing the door behind me.

Emmett and Jasper were in my kitchen, Rosalie and Alice with them. I looked at Emmett and he looked almost as angry as I felt.

"How is she?" Alice asked, coming up and putting a hand on my arm to get my attention.

I looked back at Emmett and he nodded, once. "I told them everything."

I sighed and looked down at Alice, seeing the fear in her usually excited eyes. "She's sleeping. He didn't hurt her, just scared her."

Emmett shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is your fault Edward."

I made a sound somewhere between a growl and a hiss and took a menacing step toward him. "Don't you think I know that? Shit!" I stepped away, running my fingers roughly through my hair. "I already know it's my fault, I don't need you to tell me that." My voice was dejected as I collapsed into the chair Bella had sat in earlier, my head in my hands.

Alice came and pulled a chair up next to me, rubbing her hand in never ending circles over my back. "What can we do?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant.

I laughed a thoroughly bitter sound that hurt my own ears. I felt the tears forming in my eyes and swiped furiously at them. "The only thing we can do is keep a look out for him." I lifted my head and met her frightened gaze before looking away, unable to hold the contact for very long. I looked over to Emmett, his expression one of sympathy now. I looked at him while I finished my thought. "He won't stop until she's dead or I'm back under his wing."

Emmett's eyes widened and he took a step forward, toward me. "No, Edward. Don't even fucking think about it," he growled through clenched teeth.

I wiped again at the salty water on my face. "Why not, Emmett? It'll keep him away from her. That's more important to me than my own life right now."

Emmett turned and slammed his fist down on the counter, rattling the appliances and making us all jump. "I won't let you go back to him, Edward."

I stood, angry again, and turned to face him. "And just how do you plan to stop me, Emmett?"

He whirled and punched me, using all the momentum he'd built up as he turned. I hit the floor, black spots dancing behind my eyes as I tried to refocus my eyes. Fuck, I'd forgotten how hard he could hit. "How the fuck do you think, asshole," he whispered.

I got back to my feet slowly, rubbing my jaw where he'd hit me. I was damn lucky he hadn't broken it. He'd done it before. Jasper was ready with a dish towel full of ice. He'd seen our spats before.

I took the ice and started to sit back down. I heard a strangled scream come from my bedroom and dropped the ice, taking off at a run down my hallway and slamming the bedroom door open. Bella squeaked, unable to get enough air for a proper scream.

She was sitting up in bed, her eyes wide with panic, far too much white showing. I hurried to her, sliding onto the bed on my knees and taking her into my arms. She was crying again, her tears soaking through my shirt. I barely noticed.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay. I'm right here. I'm right here." I murmured my words into her hair until her tears and trembling stopped. I should have known better than to let her sleep. Stupid, Edward. Fucking stupid.

I held her for a while before she finally looked up at me. "I'm sorry," she said, voice hoarse. "I had a nightmare and then I woke up and you weren't here."

"Shh," I whispered, stroking her hair. "It's okay. I'm here now."

She nodded, over and over until she finally sighed and leaned away from me. She kept her hand wrapped around mine though, and I had a feeling she would be clinging to me for a little while. I didn't mind, not one bit.

"Hey," I said, softly, brushing her hair back from her tear-stained face. "Everyone's here. They're worried about you." She looked at me, eyes wide again, and I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, her nose and then her lips. "Do you want to come out to the living room?"

She hesitated and I hated having to push her but I knew she had questions and I didn't want everyone to come back here when I refused to leave her side. "I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, Bella. And I have a lot of explaining to do."

She was still for a few seconds more before finally nodding, carefully untangling herself from the covers so she could get off the bed. She never let go of my hand. I led her down the hall with my arm around her waist. Everyone had moved into the living room, Emmett and Rose sitting on one of my recliners with Alice and Jasper on the other.

As soon as we walked into the room, Alice and Rose stood and hurried to Bella's side. They embraced her and I let go, hoping her panic wouldn't come back. I stayed close just in case it did.

She was fine until they both pulled away and my hand was there for her to grab. I led her over to the couch, sitting down and holding her tight to my side. She sighed and nuzzled against my chest, my fingers stroking her hair again.

"Where to begin," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

Emmett, however, answered me, as I knew he would. "How about we start with your decision to get clean." He sighed, probably thinking back to that time in our lives. It had been a rough month. "That's where all this started."

I took a deep, steadying breath and nodded, looking down at Bella. I tightened my arm around her and started talking.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks as always to Rachel for keeping me in line and a few nice additions.**

**Remember to leave me your favorite quotes in a review and I'll be sure to add them to the story. Swing by the forum on Twilighted . net for some interesting conversation and a teaser of chapter ten to go up sometime in the next week.**

**PS: I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this posted. This past week was mine and my husband's first anniversary so I kind of took a week off from everything. And then the movie came out so I spent the weekend at the movie theater, lol. But, anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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**James POV**

The music pulsed out of the wall of the club and the smoky air stung my lungs. I watched as the slender blonde stalked up to me in her high stilettos, the barely there bikini outfit showcasing every single inch of her. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and her makeup was artfully done, just like the rest of the girls dancing around the poles scattered throughout the room.

She stopped right in front of me, her legs brushing mine where I sat in a booth by one of the large, round stages. "You asked for me?" Her voice was pure sex and I felt my cock harden painfully.

I smiled up at her, presenting a relaxed front while inside I was seething. It had all been going so well and then my hired help had to go screw things up. I would be on my way back to Chicago right now if they had just followed my instructions. But no matter, I would just have to figure out something else. Until then, my new friend here would do nicely to help me relax, by providing a welcome distraction.

"I did." I made a point of giving her a very slow, very approving once over. She smiled; a knowing tug of lips before reaching out her perfectly manicured hand to me. The girls here were classy, even if they were strippers.

I took her hand, getting to my feet as I brought her knuckles to my lips. She ran her tongue slowly across her painted lips and I let my eyes fill with the desire I was feeling. I followed her through the club to the door beside the bar marked _Employees Only _and then down a dimly lit hallway. There were doors every few feet on either side; some open, some not. At the end of the hall she pushed open another door, this one leading into an office. Ah, yes. She knew me well. This wasn't our first meeting, and it was flattering to know she remembered my preference for privacy.

As soon as the door shut behind us she pushed me down into one of the straight backed chairs and propped her foot up on the seat of the chair with the very tip of her shoe pressed gently against my crotch. I ran my hands up her leg, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin. She angled her foot, applying a little more pressure to my hard cock and I sighed, closing my eyes as I leaned back in the chair, my hands dropping down to her ankle.

"What have you got for me, James?" She purred, seduction dripping from her voice.

I smiled, keeping my eyes closed as she rubbed her foot in little circles against me. "What do you want?"

Her foot retreated and I opened my eyes as she straddled over my lap, her hands bracing herself on the back of the chair by my shoulders. She rolled her hips over mine and I groaned, putting my hands on her hips. She moved her entire body against mine, giving me the best lap dance of my life, especially since I knew where it would end up.

I looked up into her face as her breasts pressed against my chest and she brushed her lips against my ear. "You know exactly what I want."

I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her tight to me as I stood and quickly laid her back on the desk after running my arm over it to clear away its surface. I ground my hips into hers, earning a low moan from her throat and a slow smile from her lips. My hand moved up to her face, brushing her straight hair away from her face as I smirked down at her. "Ah, Kelsey. You know I'm more than happy to oblige."

She grinned wickedly as she slid her hands under my shirt and lifted it over my head, trailing her nails down my chest. I hissed in pleasure as red welts formed over my muscled torso. She dragged her nails all the way down to the top of my jeans and made quick work of the button and zipper. I leaned back, my fingers trailing down her sides and hooking into her bikini bottoms, pulling them off her hips and tossing them across the room.

"Mm, beautiful as ever." I murmured, taking her bottom lip between my teeth and biting down. She moaned into my mouth as she pushed my jeans off my hips, freeing my raging erection. I looked down between us just long enough to guide myself to her center before I slammed into her. No foreplay, just the way she liked it.

She arched up into me and scratched her nails down my back. I growled from the pleasing pain as I started pounding into her body, taking her hard and fast. There was nothing gentle about this.

Her moans were becoming desperate and I knew she was close. I pulled out of her entirely, much to her disappointment, and grabbed her waist, roughly flipping her onto her stomach on the desk. Her feet touched the ground, the heels putting her ass at the most perfect angle. Giving her no time to react, I shoved back into her warm depths, feeling her walls tighten around my cock as she gasped at the sudden penetration.

I reached up and tangled my hand into her hair as I continued to pound into her, yanking her head back and dragging a cry from her throat. She screamed out her orgasm soon after and I exploded inside her with a growl. I released her hair and pulled out of her, tucking myself back into my jeans.

She squirmed on the desk as she rode out the end of her orgasm, a smile on her face. I patted her ass and retrieved her bottoms, placing them on the desk next to her along with a roll of crisp, new bills I pulled out of my pocket. She stood, steadying herself before pulling on the other half of her outfit and palming the money, the smile still in place.

I smiled at her as I turned to leave, pausing with the door open. "Sully sends his regards." I let the door shut behind me and left the club.

Now that I'd had my release I could concentrate on my problems. Number one being how I was going to explain to Sully how I got six of his men fucked up. At least I only got one killed; it wasn't an entire clusterfuck. Maybe I could talk my way out of it.

I took a cab back to my hotel since my car was still in the parking lot where the failed kidnapping had taken place. The elevator was slow going up ten floors and opened to a quiet hallway. It was late, almost three in the morning, so I hadn't expected anyone to be out and about.

I stopped in front of my door, digging in my pockets for my key card and sliding it into the slot. The light turned green and the lock disengaged. I pushed the door open and flipped the light on, letting the weighted door slam shut on its own. I walked into the main part of my room, across from the bed, desk and entertainment center and froze.

"Hello Sully." My voice did not betray my emotions, sounding a lot more confident than I felt. I was really hoping to have a day or two to get my thoughts together and have another plan in place before having to talk to him again.

Sully nodded his head once from his position in the room's only chair. "James. I take it things didn't go so well this evening." I felt a flash of irritation when he spoke; I hated that he spoke in such a formal manner. It pissed me off and was just one more thing to show how much Sully thought of himself.

I swallowed my irritation and shrugged out of my jacket, tossing it on the bed before sitting at the foot of the bed to remove my boots. Outwardly, I appeared to be perfectly at ease but it was simply a front. I couldn't let Sully know how nervous he made me. Or how irritated. He would use it against me in a heart beat. Or worse, just kill me.

"No, definitely didn't go according to the plan." I sighed, feigning indifference.

Sully gave me a calculating look, trying to judge how sincere I was. It was always my fear that he would see right through my façade and just blow my head off, literally, for lying to him. Of course, if he knew just how much I was lying about, he would take his time about it. Personal experience said I'd be wishing for death long before he finished with me.

"Well that's unfortunate." Sully said, crossing his legs and steepling his fingers over his lap. "I really would like to spend time with the girl who managed to snag your man's attention. She must be something to keep his attention after everything you two have been through together in the past." As Sully said this, a very predatory, primal look glazed over his eyes.

I nodded as I finished pulling my boots off, leaving them on the floor where they landed. "I'll get her for you. Just remember I need her alive, at least for a while. She's no good as a bargaining chip if she's dead or comatose."

Sully nodded, a smile crossing his lips that made me shiver. I definitely did not want to know what he planned to do with the girl, and there would probably not be much left after. I almost felt sorry for her, but mostly I felt sorry that I wasn't going to get to have any fun with her before I handed her over. It would be too risky and I don't think Edward would let the cops drive him off if he caught me with her again.

"How did my men work out for you?" Fuck, I'd been hoping he wouldn't ask that question.

I sighed again, this time with a hint of defeat. "Actually I need to talk to you about that." I stood and moved to the entertainment center, opening the cabinets to reveal the TV.

Sully looked at me expectantly and I continued. "Your boys don't follow directions very well. The three I had to help me grab her decided they wanted to have a little fun with her beforehand. Carson's dead and Edward is on to my plan, at least part of it."

I glanced over to see Sully's expression carefully blank, though the fury was beginning to boil in his eyes. He didn't say anything and I figured it would be best to tell him everything all at once. "Everyone else survived. Trey and Alec are at the hospital in police custody and the Gregory brothers were released from the hospital about an hour ago."

To say Sully didn't look pleased would have been an understatement. "And just how did your plan fail so miserably?"

I shrugged and sat back on the bed, the TV remote in my hand. "I don't know how Edward got through the brothers. They were supposed to disable his transportation and communication. Obviously they failed." I thought back over the night's events. "I'm guessing he caught them before they could finish their job."

"And Carson and the others?" The threat was plain in his voice.

"Edward was furious when he found us." Another shrug. "He snapped Carson's neck, knocked Trey and Alec unconscious and took off when the cops came."

I could feel Sully's anger radiating off him in waves but I knew if he was going to lose control and kill me, it wouldn't be here. "And where were you during this altercation?"

Running like a little bitch. "Waiting for a chance to grab the girl again." I switched through the cable channels. "I never got it."

"I see." he said, quietly. I looked over at him to find him staring holes in my head. Probably imagining where the bullets would go. "I should kill you just on principle."

My jaw clenched and I tensed, instinctively preparing for an attack even though I knew Sully wasn't going to get his hands dirty in such a public place or without getting what he wanted first. "If you kill me, you don't get Edward. Or his girlfriend."

He shook his head once. "No, if I kill you I merely give up Edward. I will still have his little toy." Sully shifted and stood, straightening out the suit he was wearing before walking toward the door. "You have one more opportunity to complete your assignment. Do not fail me again."

I heard the door close behind him and let the air out of my body. Sully was the only person who has ever been able to ever truly scare me. Edward's friend Emmett worried me because while I wasn't afraid of dying per se, I didn't really want to die and he's made it abundantly clear he would rather see me rotting, and probably wouldn't think twice about it. But Sully would torture me until I begged for death, then take joy in denying me what I wanted most so he could kill me when he tired of me. That would be part of the orgasmic enjoyment for Sully, knowing you were so eager for death, being able to control you by denying that final release from the pain. Yeah, that man scared the shit out of me.

I had one more chance to snag Bella. Once I got her, Edward would come to me willingly. But getting her was going to be the problem. I knew Edward well enough to know he wouldn't let her out of his sight so long as he thought I was still around. Having him catch me tonight really threw a rod right in the workings of any plan I could think of right now.

I stared at the TV for a while, not really paying attention to what was on. I spent the next two hours wracking my brain for ideas and coming up empty. When the sun was starting to peek through my curtains my cell phone rang, startling me out of my stupor. I reached over, frowning at the display screen. Restricted number. I debated on whether I should answer before flipping the phone open and putting it to my ear.

"Yeah?"

Silence on the other end for a handful of heartbeats and then a very feminine, very sexy voice reached my ears and made my cock stand up straight. "I can help you." I recognized that voice. Kelsey.

I felt a smile tug at my lips. Yeah, I was well aware what she could help me with. It was currently rock hard and straining against me jeans. "You already helped me tonight but if you're up for another round, I wouldn't be against it."

She laughed. "We can take care of that later, Casanova. Sully called me."

The smile left my face and I sighed. "And just how could you possibly help me, Kelsey?"

"Sully hired me for more than my pretty face, James." I could hear the smugness in her voice and I wondered what other talents she could possess that would interest Sully.

"I'll just bet he did." I sighed again and shifted on the bed, relieving a cramp in my leg from having it bent under my body for so long. "What exactly can you do to help me?"

"Meet me at the club before my shift tonight. We'll talk then." She whispered a sultry goodbye and hung up, leaving me with a raging hard-on and more questions than answers.

**Bella POV**

I felt dazed, in a fog, seeing things through a haze of confusion and questions. Every time I tried to think about what might have happened if Edward hadn't shown up when he did it was like my brain shut down and I started to shake. Thankfully, no thoughts, no memories, no nothing got through the mental barriers my sleeping mind put up.

But the complete panic that had taken over when I woke alone in a strange room strangled my voice and very nearly stopped my heart. When Edward practically knocked the door off its hinges I thought it was James coming back for me. Left over irrational fear remaining from a nightmare where Edward had never shown and James still had me.

Suddenly, on top of being terrified and panicked, I was furious with myself. Edward had put himself in danger for me, killed a man for me, because of my stupidity, and he shouldn't have had to. I should have been able to take care of myself or face the consequences. I shuddered at the thought but it didn't change how I felt now. I would be stronger for the next time. I would not have Edward put himself in that position again.

I cried my frustrations and anger and fear out against his shirt, barely hearing his mumbled words of comfort. I finally pulled away from him, partially satisfied that I wasn't going to have another breakdown. I clung to Edward's hand without thinking about why I was doing it.

I felt fingers on my face and looked up to meet the sparkling green eyes of my savior. "Hey," he whispered, brushing my hair away from my face. "Everyone's here. They're worried about you." I felt the panic trying to return at the thought of facing my friends and them knowing how stupid I had been. I didn't want to see the disappointment in their eyes.

Edward pressed kisses all over my face and I felt the panic starting to ebb. "Do you want to come out to the living room?" No, I definitely did not want to go out to the living room. I wanted to stay right here and have him hold me until I forgot everything about the last few hours. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Bella." His voice was as soothing as his touch. "And I have a lot of explaining to do."

Questions. Right. Like how Edward knows James because he obviously had known him. And where he learned to fight – no, something more than fighting. You usually do not break someone's neck in a bar fight, or any other normal fight for that matter. The conversation exchange between James and Edward brought up even more questions. I honestly couldn't decide if I even wanted the answers right now. But then again, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep right until I knew everything. Fuck.

I finally nodded, decision made. It took me a minute to untangle myself from the covers since I refused to let go of Edward's hand. I felt like I was holding on to a lifeline and I had a feeling it was going to be like that for a while. He wrapped his arm around my waist as he led me down the hall, my feet dragging the closer we got to our friends.

As soon as we were within view of the others, Alice and Rosalie stood and practically ran to me, pulling my hand from Edward's as they hugged me so tight I had to fight for oxygen.

"Oh my God, Bella, I'm so sorry. I should have come and got you." Alice's whispered voice in my ear sounded strained, as though she were fighting back tears.

I hugged her, telling her without words it wasn't her fault but she was forgiven anyway. When Rose and Alice pulled away, I felt like I was drifting in the middle of the ocean with nothing but my own strength keeping me afloat. I reached out for some kind of anchor and found Edward's hand, my panic disappearing almost immediately.

He led me over to the couch and sat us both down, letting me curl up against his side. I felt his body tense under my cheek as I laid my head against his chest. His fingers started running through my hair and he took a deep breath, muttering, "Where to begin?"

Emmett's deep rumble reached my ears. "How about we start with your decision to get clean." I heard him sigh and wondered what the 'we' part was about. "That's where all this started."

I felt Edward nod and take another breath, his arm tightening around my body and pulling me closer. "I'll take you guys back eight years. I was sixteen and thought I was smart, invincible and generally God's gift to mankind. Typical teenage boy thoughts."

His fingers slowed their path through my hair and I pulled myself out of the half-sleep I had fallen into. I sat up a little, getting into a less comfortable position and he removed his fingers from my hair. I guess it was a little _too _soothing.

I met his gaze with a sheepish expression on my face. The smile he gave me was gentle and slightly amused. A small brush of his lips against mine and he turned away, looking back at our audience to continue his story.

**Edward POV**

"I had a brother, Marcus. He was eighteen and big man on campus. The guys all wanted to be him and the girls all wanted to be with him. And I envied him with every fiber of my being." I looked down at my lap for a minute, trying to swallow the pain talking about Marcus always brought. I still missed him.

I cleared my throat and looked up at Emmett, my mood clearing a bit when I thought about our past, before we got tangled in things we should have left alone. "I started high school as Marcus' little brother but Emmett and I made sure our names were known for more than who our family was."

_The basement door cracked open and I backed up into the shadows of the air conditioner, hiding my cigarette behind my back so the lit cherry wouldn't give me away. The air conditioner put off a weird scent that covered the smell of the smoke; which was why kids chose to sneak a cigarette in down here as opposed to out behind the building._

_I heard a throat clear and let out the breath I had been holding, bringing the cigarette back to my lips and inhaling the last drag. I dropped the filter to the floor, putting it out with the toe of my sneaker, and stepped forward, giving Emmett a little wave to let him know it was all clear._

_Emmett took his time getting down the stairs, a big grin on his face the whole way. When he reached me, I was frowning, wondering what had made him so happy and why I didn't know about it already. "You're late, Em."_

_He shrugged, his broad shoulders making the movement gracefully despite his football player frame. "Roxie wanted a little one on one after gym."_

_I snorted a laugh and pulled the half empty box of cigarettes out of my pocket, offering him one. He took it and the lighter. "I wouldn't stick my dick in that if you paid me." That girl was disgusting and would fuck anything that stood still long enough. I was one of the few she had yet to conquer. And if I had any say in it, she never would. _

_Emmett shrugged again and inhaled, the end of the cigarette burning bright for a moment. "Yeah, well. I happen to know she just went and got tested for everything across the board. So I figured I might as well, while she's still clean."_

_I actually laughed this time and lit myself another cigarette. Emmett was a bigger playboy than I was and that was saying something. The only girls we couldn't really touch were the seniors; only because that was Marcus's territory. _

"_So what's the plan, Em?" I asked, enjoying the nicotine making its way into my body. _

"_Tear gas in the air conditioner." Emmett grinned and gestured to the duct work behind me. I glanced back over my shoulder out of reflex rather than a desire to admire the shiny silver ducts._

_I turned back to my friend, arching my eyebrow at him. "How many days do you want?" We always did the big pranks with the ultimate intention of getting the school shut down for a day or two. Usually right before the weekend so we could take off and get out of the state for a little while. _

"_I figure it'll take them two or three days to clean out the air conditioner if we do it right. The goal is two but I'd be happy with more." He finished his cigarette and ground it out on the floor. "Amber wants me to come out and see her. And she's got a friend who wants to meet you."_

_In other words, we would be flying out to California over our extended weekend. Excellent. I grinned at him. "Any ideas on where to get the tear gas?"_

_He gave me a look that said, clearly, I was an idiot. On anyone else, that look would have earned a meet and greet with my fist but on Emmett, I just ignored it. Besides, Emmett could kick my ass without even trying. "Come on, bro. Do you think I would honestly suggest such an awesome idea and not be able to back it up?"_

_I shrugged and opened my mouth; about to point out that it had happened before, when a sound made me freeze. Someone was arguing right outside the door to the basement. Emmett and I exchanged a look and quickly slid under the dark cover of the stairs as the door opened._

"_I said no, James." The familiar voice reached my ears and I frowned, wondering what the hell my brother was doing in the basement. And with that douche bag James, no less._

"_And I told you that you don't have a choice." James' smug voice grated on my nerves. I'd never liked the guy but he and my brother had been friends since freshman year. So I tolerated him._

_We heard their footsteps on the stairs as they came down; stopping in almost the exact spot Emmett and I had been standing a minute ago. Marcus was staring James down, his features drawn in fury._

"_Look, I don't mind running for your boss but I'll be damned if I'm going to go on a suicide mission on the whim of a woman who doesn't even know what's going on." Marcus was waving his hands in the air, something he did when he was angry or frustrated. _

_James crossed his arms over his chest. His back was to me so I couldn't see his face but his voice was amused so I assumed he was smiling. "Come on, Marcus. She just wants you to take some merch to her sister's boyfriend. She's willing to drop sixty thousand just for the transport. That's more than five of those runs are worth."_

_Marcus sneered at James. "Yeah, too bad her sister's boyfriend is a fucking cop! What happens if I do this and I end up behind bars? You gonna come bail me out? You gonna look after my brother while I'm away?" I could tell he wanted to scream at James but he was forcing himself to keep his voice down._

_What could Marcus be involved in that would have him so worried about going to jail. And what the hell was worth sixty thousand dollars? I looked over at Emmett and he shook his head, frowning. He didn't know either._

"_Hey, speaking of. If you're too chicken shit to take the run, maybe I could recruit your brother. I hear he's making quite a name for himself as a delinquent."_

_Marcus got right up in James' face and even I flinched back from the menace in his face and his voice. "If you ever go near him I will kill you myself. I won't let him get involved in this."_

"_He's old enough to make his own decisions." James laughed at a joke I didn't get. "Besides, I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out yet. Hasn't he ever wondered how you keep the money coming in when you don't have a real job?"_

_Confusion flooded me. I had been wondering how he managed to keep us both out of state custody when our parents were killed. But I had never really given much thought to it. We stayed with our aunt and uncle until Marcus turned eighteen and then he moved us across town and into the house he inherited from our parents. _

"_He doesn't need to know." Marcus replied, voice soft as he turned his back on James._

"_What's he going to think when you just don't come home one night?" James asked._

_Marcus turned around, a death glare focused on his friend. "Is that a threat?"_

_James shrugged. "Just a question."_

_My brother shook his head and tugged at his hair, a sure sign of defeated frustration. "Look, James. I'll take this job. But I'm asking you as a friend not to drag my brother into this." He started back up the stairs without waiting for a response. "I'll meet you at six."_

_I heard the door close behind him and stared, wide eyed, at James' back. What the hell was going on? And why was my brother worried about getting arrested? The thought panicked me. If Marcus got arrested, I'd be thrown back with my aunt and uncle and their favorite whiskey bottles. Not something I was looking forward to._

_I hadn't even realized I had made a decision until I felt Emmett's hand on my arm, stopping me from stepping forward. I looked at him and he let me go, a frown on his face. _

_James didn't even turn around when I approached him but I had the feeling he wasn't surprised. "What is my brother so worried about?"_

_James turned, looking down at me. He was a few inches taller than me, though I still had a few growth spurts to go through. The look on his face was one of smug satisfaction. "He's worried he'll take a job he won't come back from and you'll be left alone."_

_I frowned. "What kind of job?"_

_He ignored my question and asked one of his own. "Do you want to help him?"_

_I nodded, hesitantly, wondering what the hell he was getting at. "Meet me at five behind the old swim center. You'll get to make some money and keep your brother out of trouble." I nodded again and he smirked, turning and leaving the basement._

_Emmett came up behind me and I could practically feel the anger. "What have you gotten yourself into, Edward?"_

_I shrugged and looked at him over my shoulder. "Whatever it is, I just got my brother out of it." And that was all that really mattered._

_--_

I sighed as I sat back, the story of how I got involved with James far from my most pleasant memory. "I met up with him that night like he said to. He handed me a duffel bag and a full explanation. He told me that if I took over my brother's drug running gig, he'd make sure we lived comfortably for the rest of our lives." I laughed and the sound hurt my ears it was so bitter. "I was sixteen and stupid; I believed him."

I looked over at Bella to see her wide brown eyes and was relieved not to see any fear in those beautiful eyes. _Don't be too relieved, Cullen. Your story's not over yet. _I let my eyes turn back to the rest of my friends. Alice and Rosalie looked shocked.

"My brother was furious when he found out what James had done, how he had gone behind his back and recruited his baby brother." I felt a swelling of pride for my brother. "He almost killed James that night." And then a strong feeling of guilt and sadness washed over me. "A year later, on the anniversary of my recruitment, Marcus died of an overdose."

Emmett wrapped his arm around Rosalie's waist. "We both know he was murdered, Edward." His voice was soft but firm. This was a fact we had both known from the moment I got the phone call saying my brother had been found dead with a needle in his arm. Marcus had never once touched the shit he ran. He didn't even smoke cigarettes or drink, for that matter. You can't be good at running the shit if you're using.

I had to back up to clear the confusion I felt coming from the girls. "After I joined up with James, Marcus no longer had to hide anything from me. We even did runs together sometimes, when he thought it would be too dangerous for me to do on my own." I looked at Emmett. He had taken over Marcus's job as protector when my brother died. "Marcus's relationship with James continued to deteriorate as the months went by. He no longer trusted his old friend and that's a hard thing to get around when you spend most of your time keeping two steps ahead of the cops."

Bella shifted and snuggled up to my side again. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss into her hair, inhaling the welcome scent of strawberries. She put a hand to my chest, fingers curling into my shirt, and I placed my hand on top of hers, taking the comfort she offered and giving some back to her.

"Marcus never once used the drugs he ran. He didn't smoke, he didn't drink and he was so adamant about it that I ended up quitting smoking within the first three months. So when my brother turned up dead of an overdose, you can imagine my suspicion. But no matter how many times I told the cops, all they saw was a drug runner whose addictions finally caught up to him. Once a junkie, always a junkie; that was their theory."

I took a deep, calming breath. This was where my own history got hard. "I started using after that. Whatever I could get my hands on I would smoke, shoot or snort. The pain from losing my brother, from knowing he was murdered and who did it, and not being able to do anything about it just got the better of me.

"James used that to his advantage. Right after my brother was killed; James killed his supplier and took over the operation. While he was busy gaining the trust of his contacts, I was busy losing myself in drugs and women. About a month after I buried Marcus, James hunted me down and used my new addictions to get me back into the fold. He promised me beautiful girls and all the drugs I could want."

I laughed to myself, pain thick in my voice, and felt Bella's warm hand on my neck. "He kept his word and for the next two years he controlled me. I did whatever he wanted, no matter how dangerous or how stupid, just so I could be sure of that next fix. I was a fucking mess."

Emmett nodded. "I thought you were going to kill yourself, man. I have never felt so helpless."

"Yeah, I pushed you away during most of that." I met Alice's gaze and had to turn away from the pity in her pretty eyes. Rose's weren't much better so I just looked down, my eyes on my knees. "Emmett kept trying to get me away from James but nothing he tried worked. I just kept going back, needing that next hit, chasing the next high. It was too easy to keep on, too difficult to quit.

"Finally, on the anniversary of my brother's death, I made the decision to turn my life around. Emmett had dragged my sorry ass to my brother's grave and yelled and screamed at me until I finally heard what he was saying. Emmett was right, Marcus would have been more than disappointed with how my life had turned out. If he had been alive, I wouldn't have been able to look him in the eye. And that, more than anything else, got through to me.

"That night, I went down to the police department and found a detective in their narcotics unit. It took me all night and Emmett practically had to hold my hand the whole time but I confessed everything. I spilled my guts to a cop I didn't know, unsure if I would be spending the rest of my life in jail or not."

My arm tightened around Bella as my next confession came out of my mouth. "By this time, my crimes ranged from trafficking to murder and I expected nothing less than life behind bars. But, instead of seeing a criminal who deserved to be behind bars, the detective saw a nineteen year old kid who had made some bad choices.

"That was the night I swore I would see James dead or in prison. The detective sent me to rehab where I managed to shake my addictions, but only just. It took a lot of Emmett reminding me about my brother and a lot more of him ignoring me screaming at him because he refused to bring me anything, for me so I could recover enough to do the cops any good. But, somehow, I managed and a month later I was back under James' employ.

"Emmett had told him I'd been identified during a drug bust and went into hiding to avoid the warrant since someone narked. It had happened before so James bought it. My new detective friend made sure the right evidence was there to verify the story. It was harder to explain my recovery but I managed to convince him it was just because I had been unable to find any product from someone I trusted since I had been narked out. I know now he never bought any of my stories and by then he was on to me. At the time, I thought I was golden.

"The months went by and I slowly helped the DEA gather the evidence needed to bring James down. About six months into my undercover act, James decided to dabble in gun running. The mob runs the guns in Chicago and that is territory you don't want to infringe on. But James was greedy and all he saw was the money he could make.

"So, he sent me with a trunk full of guns to Sully. Sully ran the only part of downtown Chicago the mob didn't. James had managed to carve out a little chunk of territory but I still think Sully _let_ him do it. I doubt James would have been able to do it without Sully _allowing _it. It was just a matter of why?

"What James sent me with wasn't what Sully ordered. I know now this was James' way of having me killed without implicating himself. He knew what I was up to and had decided I was no longer useful enough to risk keeping around."

I gestured over to Emmett. "After Sully's men tried to kill us, we went into protective custody. I turned over everything I had on James and testified at his trial. The prosecution offered some kind of a plea and he ended up getting five to seven years. Evidently James wasn't the big fish he thought he was. It wasn't the life term I had wished on him but it was enough for me and Emmett to get out of Chicago and start over somewhere."

And now for the hard truth. "James is out now, supposedly on good behavior, and he wants me back under his employ. I don't know why, especially seeing as how he tried to kill me last time, but he does. And he's willing to do just about anything to get me." I looked down at Bella, my fingers stroking through her hair again. "Including going after the people I care about."

Bella shuddered against me and I tightened my hold, bringing her as close to me as I could. "James wants Bella. I'm assuming he wants to use her as leverage." She tensed against me and buried her face against my chest. My heart hurt to see her so scared because of me.

"We won't let him get her," Emmett said, pulling Rosalie tighter against him. I looked over at Jasper to see him doing the same thing to Alice. No, James wouldn't get any of our women.

I sighed and fought back the guilt that my friends were in danger because I hadn't killed James when I had the chance. "I want you guys to move in here for a while. We'll be able to look out for each other a lot easier if we're not spread across town."

Emmett nodded and looked at Rosalie. She pushed away from him and came to sit beside Bella on the couch, pulling her away from me and into her arms. The look in Rosalie's eyes as she held Bella against her scared me. "No one's going to touch you, Bella. Ever." Her soft words were so full of threat that I didn't doubt she would do whatever was necessary to prove the truth of her promise.

She looked up and met my eyes and I gave a single nod, acknowledging the truth in words before turning to the others. "Pack some things, be back here by nightfall. James won't try anything today but I don't want to push our luck."

Alice looked pained as she watched Rosalie stand and go over to Emmett, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. Alice followed, pulling Jasper up and the four of them left out the front door, not looking back.

I turned to Bella and took her hand in mine, preparing myself for the worst. "Bella, I'm so sorry you got dragged into this." _Deep breath, Cullen. You have to give her an out. _Yeah, I had to, but I didn't have to like it. "I can understand if you don't want to be with me but until I handle James, I need you to stay here where I can protect you."

I felt gentle fingers on my lips and looked up, meeting her chocolate eyes and seeing the understanding and sympathy there. Wait, sympathy?

"Stop, Edward. I'm not scared of you, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not going to leave you because of your past." She leaned in and replaced her fingers with her lips. "I'm so sorry about your brother, Edward."

I closed my eyes against the sudden tears trying to fall. I had talked about him for the first time in years with no tears but suddenly, hearing my girlfriend apologize for something she had no control over, I wanted to weep for my brother again.

Bella reached up, wiping my tears with her fingers and turned my head back to face her. She pressed her lips against mine again but this time she stayed there. I moved my hand to tangle in her hair and begged entrance into her mouth, running my tongue along her lower lip. She granted me access and I explored her mouth, tasting her and drinking her in.

A soft moan escaped her and she moved, easing herself into my lap until she was straddling me, never breaking our kiss. My hands moved to her hips and slid under her shirt, enjoying the feel of her silky skin. She rolled her hips against mine and I groaned, feeling my erection strain against my jeans. Her hands tangled in my hair as I broke the kiss, moving my lips down to her throat where I sucked and licked and kissed, savoring every inch of her perfect throat.

She whimpered softly, her head falling back as I started easing her shirt up. I had the material halfway up her body when the sound of the ice-maker dumping ice into the tray in the freezer made us both jump, breaking the mood. I lowered my hands, letting her shirt fall back over her stomach, and rested my hands on her hips. She dropped her head to my shoulder and we both broke into a fit of nervous giggles. Mood broken but thankfully not awkward. Damn ice machine.

Bella slid off my lap and stood, pulling me with her into the kitchen. I guided her into a chair and eased myself away from her, watching her for any signs of her earlier panic. Seeing none, I started rummaging through my fridge, pulling out eggs and bacon. I started the bacon and looked over to see Bella hoping up on the counter next to the stove. She leaned in and kissed me, a gentle brush of lips that made me smile.

I swore to myself in that moment that I would kill James before he could touch Bella again. She was the most important thing to me now, the most important thing to me ever.

The bastard's days were numbered.

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**Ya'll know what I like ;)**

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	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **I'm so sorry this took so long to get posted. Writing from Jasper's POV was especially difficult since he wanted to be a pain in the butt and wouldn't sit still for very much plot related writing. But, hopefully the Jasper/Alice lemony goodness makes up for the long wait. I'll be posting a teaser for the next chapter in the forum for this story on www (dot) twilighted (dot) net.

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**Jasper POV**

I couldn't even begin to make sense of this new situation. My mind was spinning with facts that I hadn't known before today. I'd known about my friends' histories in general, but I'd never asked for details and we'd all been happier that way. Now, with Bella in danger and the previously unknown details of a sordid past on the table for all to see, I was reassessing my view of my friends.

As I thought over everything I'd learned, I came to the conclusion - almost immediately, I might add - that it didn't change how I felt toward Edward or Emmett or undermine my loyalty. My own past, while not as depressing as theirs, was far from squeaky clean. But what happened in the past made them into the men I knew now and those were men I trusted and loved. So no, my friendship wouldn't change, but my respect for them both had skyrocketed. And so did my understanding of their close bond.

"Jasper?"

I physically shook myself out of my thoughts and looked over at Alice. Here was another point of worry in my mind. Once James found it was going to be harder to get to Edward through Bella, he might go after her closest friends. Unfortunately, as feisty and independent as the girls were, they were the weakest link. Men like James would not hesitate to go after the weakest target. I cared for Alice far too much for this to happen, as did Edward and Emmett with Bella and Rosalie.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, reaching out to take her hand where it rested on my thigh. "I was thinking." I reached out with our twined hands and brushed my knuckles across her cheek. She turned a tiny smile in my direction before focusing worried eyes back on the dark road. Rosalie had loaned us her car since she was riding with Emmett; bags and clothes were easier to transport in the BMW than on my bike.

"Do you think Edward will be able to keep James away?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I brought her hand to my lips, pressing gentle kisses on each of her knuckles. "Everything's going to be fine, Alice." That wasn't an answer and we both knew it but she accepted it with a nod as I pulled into my parking lot. I put the car in park and turned in my seat to face her. "Please don't worry, baby. It'll all work out."

Alice smiled again and opened her door, shutting it gently behind her. I sighed and got out of the drivers' seat, locking the car and taking Alice's hand once I reached the front of the car where she was waiting for me. I unlocked the door to my apartment and ushered her inside, locking it behind me. I may have told Alice not to worry but I sure as

hell wasn't about to take any chances.

I watched as Alice walked into my living room and stopped, staring down at the floor like it held all the secrets of the universe and if she could just focus on it, she'd have all the answers. I came up behind her and placed a small kiss on the side of her neck, running my hands up and down her arms. "Alice, baby?"

She looked up and turned, forcing me to back up a bit so she could look at me. Her dark eyes were wide and tears were brimming on the surface. "I'm scared, Jasper. I don't want Bella to get hurt."

I pulled her into my arms, running my fingers through her hair as she buried her face in my chest. I could feel it when she started crying and I bent my head, placing a kiss on her hair as I held her. "Shh, baby, it's going to be okay." She wrapped one arm around my waist and I held her tighter, pinning her other arm between our bodies.

"Edward will protect her. And Emmett will protect Rosalie, and I'll protect you." I moved my hands to either side of her face and pulled her away from me so I could look into her eyes, wanting her to understand just how serious I was. "Bella will be safe with Edward and I swear to you, Alice, I won't let anything happen to you, either."

She nodded and reached up, wiping her eyes before giving me a watery smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all emotional."

I wiped away the tears she missed and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Don't ever apologize to me, Alice. You don't need to."

I brushed my lips across hers again, intending to pull away and start packing so we could get back to our 'safe house'. Alice, however, had other plans. Her fingers tangled in my hair before I could pull away and she stood on her tiptoes, forcing her lips back to mine. I growled under my breath as I returned the kiss, matching her intensity kiss for kiss.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up as I licked across her lips, begging for entrance. She parted her lips and wrapped her legs around my waist, my hands under her thighs now, supporting her. I groaned into the kiss as my tongue explored her mouth and her fingers pulled on my hair.

My jeans became uncomfortably tight as I walked us forward until I hit the couch. I dropped down to my knees on the cushions, moving one hand out from under Alice to brace myself against the back of the couch. A second later I had her pressed firmly up against the back of the couch, grinding my denim-clad erection into her, earning a small moan for my efforts.

I broke the kiss with a gasp and dropped my lips to her throat. She tilted her head back and I shifted until I had her pinned completely and could use my hands. I kept one on her hip but with the other, I started unbuttoning the silky red blouse she'd worn for our date last night. My lips followed the progress of my fingers, kissing down each newly exposed inch of flesh.

Her hands moved to my shoulders as I unclasped her bra, pushing the material of bra and shirt off her shoulders with a little shifting and adjusting. She moved her hands to the bottom of my shirt and a second later, it joined hers on the floor and our lips had reconnected, heat and passion exploding around us. I wrapped one arm around her, pulling her tighter against my body even as I ground her into the back of the couch as though I were trying to come out the other side. Our bodies moved together in a preview of what was to come.

I moved my free hand between us and made quick work of the zipper on her jeans and, with some awkward shifting since we refused to break contact with each other, I managed to get them off of her, leaving her clad only in her red lace panties. I groaned at the sight, finally breaking the kiss due to the need to breathe.

I ran my hand over the lace as Alice worked at my own zipper, her tiny fingers faltering when I bent my head and took her breast into my mouth without warning. I smiled to myself and guided her hand back, helping get the button and then the zipper undone. My teeth closed around her nipple when her knuckles brushed over my straining erection and she gasped, arching her back and offering her chest to me.

My hand moved between us, fingers deftly finding her moist center and began rubbing her through the lace. Her strangled moan filled my ears as I moved my mouth to her other breast, taking the nipple between my teeth and biting it, the same as I'd done before. Her fingers, resting on my hips under the denim cloth, clutched at me, pulling at the fabric of my boxers and inadvertently creating friction across my throbbing dick. I wanted to be inside her so badly I could taste it, but no, not yet.

I curled my fingers around the lace of her panties and yanked, ripping the material with a growl and letting the scraps fall to the floor. That one action defined us in the moment; there would not be anything gentle between us this time. The gasp that came from her throat and the heat the filled her eyes told me she understood and agreed. We needed each other in the most primal way possible, no barriers, no hesitations.

My lips found her neck as I slid the first finger into her, her moan vibrating the smooth column of her throat under my lips as I licked and sucked and kissed across every inch of it. A second finger pushed into her warm depths, stretching her around my fingers. Her own fingers trailed up my back to hold me tighter to her, one hand tangling in my hair to make sure I kept my lips on her throat. Like I had any intention of moving.

I started pumping my fingers in and out of her body, fast and hard, the muscles in my arm tensing as I set a personal goal to bring her in less than thirty seconds. My palm scraped across her clit with each thrust of my hand. I curled my fingers inside of her as I moved them, the pads on my fingertips beating across her g-spot without sympathy. I wanted her to come and I wanted her to come hard.

She arched her back over the back of the couch, inadvertently giving me an even better angle into her body. "Jasper… oh, god… Jasper!" I smirked against her throat as she dropped my name in the breathy, strangled tone that said she was close. I ran my lips up her neck to her ear, kissing along the shell of her ear.

"Come for me, Alice. Now." My voice was firm yet strangled, matching hers, my lips brushing her ear with each word. I felt her body tighten around my fingers, damn near cutting the circulation off in the process, not that I didn't enjoy every second of it. I moved my hand to her lower back to support her as her orgasm caused her to claw my back and scream my name in between gasps and moans. No one had ever been so beautiful as she was in that moment.

As she started to come down from her orgasm, I shoved my boxers down, just enough to release my painfully hard erection. I guided myself to her entrance and shoved myself inside of her, drawing a scream from her throat. Her body clenched around me and I groaned, my fingers digging into the couch on either side of Alice's body. I gripped the back of the couch, the muscles in my arms straining as I started thrusting into her, again without hesitation, not feeling the need to be gentle.

I moved my body in hers, pounding into her hard enough to make the couch jerk. She tightened her thighs around my waist, her nails digging into my shoulders as my own dug into the couch, giving myself the leverage to go faster, harder. It wasn't long before her body was clenching around me again and I growled, pushing myself faster until she screamed my name and I felt her body's release.

Alice whimpered when her orgasm passed and she found me still going strong. Her next orgasm came right on the heels of the first and brought mine with it until we were both gasping for breath around screams and cries of each others' names. I collapsed against her before shifting us until I was sitting on the couch, Alice across my lap and wrapped in my arms. There had been no gentleness during our passion but now, with our bodies temporarily exhausted and our sense of self reaffirmed, there was room for tenderness.

It was then that I realized we'd never turned on the lights and the sun was just starting to come up outside. So much had happened throughout the night that I couldn't believe the sun was only just coming up. I bent my head to nuzzle my nose against Alice's neck before taking a deep, steadying breath and pushing myself up to stand on shaky legs, holding Alice bridal style in my arms as I made my way through the dark apartment to my bedroom. I had to stop halfway to step out of the jeans that had fallen down around my ankles.

By the time I laid Alice out on the bed, she was half asleep already. I made sure the door was firmly shut before crawling under the sheets behind her, pulling her as close to me as I could before drifting off into a light sleep.

**

I woke before Alice did, my thoughts full of the nightmare that had plagued my unconscious mind. At some point during the - I glanced over at the clock - four hours we'd been sleeping, she'd rolled onto her stomach and half onto me, while I'd ended up on my back. I sighed and laid one arm across her back while I bent the other under my head.

Alice shifted in her sleep and I moved my hand up, running my fingers through her dark hair to soothe her. I thought she'd settle back into sleep but instead she lifted her head just enough to look at me through heavy lidded eyes. I smiled at her, running my knuckles across her cheek and earning a smile in return. I would do anything for that smile, to have it directed at me, meant for me.

"Sleep well?" I asked her, my voice husky from sleep.

She shifted again, snuggling closer to me and wrapping her arm around my waist. "I had a nightmare."

I leaned up just enough to press a kiss to her hair. "Me, too." She looked up at me again and I knew we'd shared the dream that something would happen to one of us, or one of our friends, and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It was a truly scary thought in the midst of the joy I was feeling at having her in my arms.

"We should probably get going soon," I whispered, not wanting to move at all but knowing we needed to get back to Edward's.

She sighed in resignation and nodded, but instead of getting up she pressed herself closer to me and buried her face against my chest. I laughed softly under my breath. "You're going to make me be the bad guy and move us, aren't you?"

I heard a muffled giggle and felt her nod. I growled playfully under my breath and lifted up, rolling us until she was pinned under my body. "Now that's hardly fair." My accent thickened with my words and I watched as her eyes practically glazed over, chuckling to myself. I loved the effect I had over her.

She lifted her upper body off the bed, trying to kiss me but I pulled back out of her reach. The pout that crossed her lips almost made me forget about everything except what we could possibly be doing in this bed rather than trying to get out of it. A quick shake of my head - and a knowing smile from Alice - and I was back in control of my body.

I dipped my head down and pressed my lips to her throat, finding her pulse and sucking gently, my fingers gliding down the side of her body. She moaned softly and lifted up under me, pressing her body the length of mine, inviting me to keep going. And oh, how I wanted to, now that I'd gotten started.

I pulled away and pushed out of bed, walking naked over to my closet and pulling out a large duffle bag. I heard a frustrated groan come from the bed and grinned at her over my shoulder. "We'll continue this later, Pixie-love." Turning away before she could unleash the pout on me again, I started shoving clothes semi-neatly into the duffle, paying only enough attention to make sure I got the clothes I wanted.

"Jazz." I hesitated at the husky tone in her voice and fought desperately against the urge to turn around. "Jasper." Oh, to hear her say my name like that all the time. I swallowed hard and glanced at her. Which was definitely counterproductive to us leaving any time soon.

She had moved up the bed, bracing her back against the headboard, and was running her hands down her stomach to her thighs before running them back up the inside of her thighs, back up her stomach, to cup her breasts. My mouth was suddenly dry and my attention was so focused a bomb could have gone off in the living room and I wouldn't have noticed.

I watched as one hand stayed on her breast, fingers rolling her nipple as her other hand slid back down, this time dipping down into the sweet heaven between her legs. I groaned as her head fell back against the headboard, her fingers rubbing circles over her clit. My dick instantly hardened, drawing a gasp of near pain from the sudden blood flow.

My legs moved without any direction from my brain and brought me over to the bed. Once there, I crawled on my hands and knees over to her, holding myself over her with my hands on either side of her hips. I leaned in, brushing my lips across her shoulder, up her throat to her ear. "Can you make yourself cum for me, Pixie-love?" She whimpered, though whether at my words or the use of my old pet name for her, I didn't know.

I looked down between us, watching the movement of her hand between her legs and fighting off the urge to move her hand and take over. I wanted to watch her get herself off, now that she'd gotten the idea in my head. I bit down gently on her ear, drawing a small moan from her throat. "Well?"

She nodded, looking at me from under heavy lids, her tongue sliding out to moisten her lips. I groaned at the sight and sat back on my knees between her legs, getting a better view of what her hand was doing. I watched as she continued to circle her clit, her other hand massaging her breast.

She moved her fingers down, sliding first one, then two fingers inside herself, a soft gasp coming from her lips. Her hand moved faster, the heel of her palm rubbing against her clit as she moved her fingers in and out of her body. I dropped my hands down to her ankles when she started squirming and trying to close her legs as her breathing got faster and her orgasm got closer.

My hands restrained her legs as they started to shake, soft words of encouragement coming from my lips. Her body tensed as the orgasm ripped through her and she cried out, her head falling back against the headboard so hard I thought for sure she'd hurt herself, but she didn't seem to even notice.

I loosened my grip on her ankles and ran my hands up her legs to her hips, gripping her waist and pulling her down until she was laying on her back under me. My hands moved up her sides, fingers grazing the sides of her breasts and drawing a gasp from her throat. I continued my journey up to her shoulders then down her arms to her wrists. With one swift movement I had both her wrists pinned above her head, one of my hands able to wrap fully around both of hers.

"Jazz?" Her voice was breathy and her eyes were unfocused.

"Shh," I ran my lips across her jaw, crossing over her lips briefly before moving on. My free hand had moved back down to her leg, my fingers curled under her knee. I pulled her leg up and over my hip, hooking it around my back and giving me the perfect angle into her body.

Her body arched up under mine and I pulled my hips back just enough to deny her what she wanted. She whimpered and I smiled against her throat before sliding inside of her, melting our bodies together with one quick thrust. I tightened my grip around her wrists when she tried to push up against me, easing out of her body before slamming back in.

A half dozen thrusts later and she was clenching around me, screaming out her second orgasm against my shoulder. I felt her teeth in my shoulder as she bit down, dragging a cry from my own throat and bringing my orgasm with an explosive release that left me weak and out of breath. I collapsed beside her, releasing her wrists and pulling her against my side.

We lay like that for a bit while our pulses slowed and our bodies cooled. Alice snuggled up against me as soon as she could make her muscles work and I pressed a kiss into her hair.

"We really should get up this time," I murmured, wanting to do no such thing. I was thoroughly enjoying what we were doing and had no desire to move.

Alice groaned and shook her head, burying as much of her body between my side and the bed as she could. I couldn't help but laugh and I rolled over, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her against me for a quick kiss. The quick kiss quickly turned into something more and it was almost an hour later before we finally got out of the bed.

I made quick work of the rest of my packing and we both showered. It took a tremendous effort of will on my part to keep the shower merely about getting clean. If Alice had had her way, we'd probably still be standing under the water, though I couldn't decide if I'd have her pinned up against the wall or bent over in front of me. The images floating through my head as I considered both options made my dick twitch and I had to reach down and adjust myself to relieve the discomfort. Alice gave me a knowing smile as she got in the car and I slammed the trunk closed after dropping my duffel in it.

We hit traffic on the way to the apartment Alice shared with Bella and Rosalie and then Alice tried to pack every single beauty product she owned. I finally had to hide my laughter while putting on a firm voice and telling her if she couldn't fit it in two bags then she didn't need it. It took another hour of debating and packing before we were ready to go with two duffels and a backpack. It was a lot better than the six duffels she originally wanted to bring so I didn't comment on the backpack.

It was late afternoon by the time we got back to Edwards' house. His Volvo was gone and the house was locked so I figured he'd taken Bella to go get some things. No matter, I had a key to the house. I parked the BMW in the grass beside the garage to leave room for Emmett's Jeep and Edward's Volvo when they returned.

A loud rumble echoed down the street as Alice and I were pulling our bags out of the trunk and a few seconds later, a beat up old Chevy truck pulled into the grass behind me, Bella behind the wheel. Alice waved and bounced her way over to the driver's side of the truck just as Edward pulled his Volvo into the garage.

I met Edward by the front door, loaded down with mine and Alice's bags, and waited patiently while he unlocked the door. Once inside, I made a beeline for the spare bedroom at the end of the hallway, the one I usually crashed in when I stayed over. Emmett would get the one closer to the living room. We'd had enough drunken nights over here to have claimed our own rooms.

By the time I had unpacked our clothes and put Alice's toiletries away in the Jack-and-Jill bathroom the two spare rooms shared, Emmett and Rosalie had arrived. I ran into Emmett in the process of stashing Alice's blow dryer under the sink. Apparently he'd been stuck with the job of unpacking, same as me, though I'd volunteered for it. I'm sure Rose 'asked' Emmett. We shared a knowing smirk as we finished putting things away.

Back in the dining room, with the girls all clustered around the table involved in a serious conversation, Emmett and I joined Edward by the stove. He had a huge bowl of what smelled like Italian dressing at his elbow and he was dropping raw chicken breasts into it.

"What the hell are you doing, Ed?" Emmett asked, bending over to get a better look 'cause apparently chicken covered in dressing looks different up close. Apparently.

Edward pushed him back with his elbow as he dropped the last of the chicken into the bowl. "Making dinner. Now back up before I make you fend for yourself tonight." He smirked at Emmett's look of horror and I turned my head to hide a smile. Emmett and cooking definitely did not go together. At all. I mean, seriously, this guy managed to fuck up Easy Mac.

Turning away from the playful verbal sparring of my best friends put me facing the girls in their huddled conversation. Alice, being at the end of the table, noticed me looking and offered a small smile before joining back in on whatever was being discussed. Frowning, I nudged Edward.

"What's going on with them?"

Edward glanced over his shoulder briefly as he put a top on the bowl of chicken. "They're trying to convince Bella to take time off work and pretend illness to get out of going to class for a few days." Between his tone and the serious expressions on the girls' faces, I gathered the convincing wasn't going so well.

"Success rate?" I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest.

With a barely suppressed sigh, Edward dropped a pot into the sink to fill with water. "Non-existent. She doesn't want this thing with James to get in the way of her life. Although what she actually said was that if she took time off, someone else would have to work harder to cover her shift and taking time from school would set her back too far." He shrugged and put the now full pot on the stove, turning the element on to set the water to boiling.

Emmett grabbed an apple out of the bowl at the end of the counter and stood leaning against the island in front of Edward and myself. "Sounds to me like she's not taking the threat seriously." All playfulness was gone from his expression and his tone. It was a swift reminder that Emmett knew first hand the dangers James presented.

"She can hear you guys, you know." Bella's irritated voice drifted over from the table and she stood. "And I am taking the threat seriously. But I'm not going to let him scare me into hiding under a rock for an indefinite period of time." She looked pointedly at her two friends before disappearing down the hall. The sound of a door shutting was heard by all in the quiet room.

With a growl of frustration Rosalie sat back in her chair. "Why is she being so stubborn?"

Alice put her hand over Rosalie's and looked over at me with worried eyes. "Because she doesn't like us worrying over her. I think she's trying to prove that there's nothing to worry about."

I heard a sharp _snap_ and looked at Edward standing beside me with the two pieces of a freshly broken wooden spoon in his hand. His jaw was clenched so tight I was worried he might shatter his teeth if he didn't let up on the pressure soon. I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze when he looked over at me, anger and fear in his eyes. I didn't say anything, knowing nothing would help, even if he would believe a clever lie, instead just offering my support. He accepted my support with a nod and turned, throwing the broken wood in the trash before making his way down the hall, his movements stiff as he tried to get himself under control.

I sighed when he disappeared and looked over at Emmett. "What are the chances James will be able to get to her?"

Emmett took a bite of the apple in his hand, trying to put on a calm façade and failing. He was as tense as Edward. "James is a creative fucker and even if his time in jail lost him all his old contacts, he's got some serious resources. There's no way to know of any new contacts he could have made while in jail. We're going to have to be careful." Not exactly an answer to my question, but close enough.

Alice stood and came over to me, pressing her body against the front of mine. My arms wrapped around her as I pressed a kiss into her hair. Rosalie went to stand beside Emmett and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, nuzzling her neck before turning back to me.

"Bella's not going to make things easy on us, is she?" I asked Alice. She looked up at me with a small, humorless smile on her face and shook her head. I sighed again and tightened my arms around her as she turned in them to look at our other two friends.

"How're we going to get her to see reason?" I think her question was directed at Rosalie because I knew Emmett wouldn't know 'sense' if it bit him in the ass and danced the hula.

Rosalie shrugged after a moment of thought. "I don't think we can. We'll just have to make sure she doesn't go anywhere alone."

Emmett frowned and tossed the core of his apple into the trash. "You two won't be doing anything. James will just as soon grab one of you as he would Bella, especially if he thought he could use you to get to her."

Rosalie looked like she was about to say something but Alice beat her to it, her voice sharp and on the verge of angry. "And just what do you propose we do, then? Sit on our asses and wait for the big strong men to save us all from the evil villain?"

Emmett, wisely, didn't respond. It was probably the smartest thing he'd done in his entire life. Through my embrace I could feel the energy in her bubbling just below the surface, just waiting for the catalyst to break the tension. I suddenly missed my cheerful, hyper-active girlfriend. This worried, angry Alice made me want to comfort and protect her and that would go over about as well as a ton of bricks right about now.

"Look," I started, trying to diffuse what could easily turn into an explosive situation. "Why don't we all discuss this over dinner later? Nothing's going to get accomplished if Bella and Edward aren't a part of the conversation."

It took a few seconds but the energy in the room slowly calmed down and everyone looked, if not more relaxed, at least calmer. I was confident that Alice wasn't about to attack Emmett so I eased what I now realized was a really tight grip around her. She turned in my arms to give me a quick kiss before pulling away and heading toward the bedrooms.

When we heard, once again, a door open and shut, Emmett visibly relaxed. "Fuck, Jasper," he said, dropping his arm from Rosalie's shoulders to her waist. "She's fucking scary when she's angry." I saw Rosalie smirk and couldn't stop a small smile of my own.

"It's always the small ones you have to worry about." Rosalie said, trailing a finger down Emmett's cheek. He turned his head and bit down on her finger briefly.

"I don't know, Rose. You're pretty scary yourself, sometimes." The look they were sharing made me wish I was in another room. Maybe another state.

I pushed away from the counter and cleared my throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm going to go get Edward. Maybe you guys should take it to the bedroom. And try to not make our ears bleed in the process." Emmett laughed and punched my shoulder as I eased by them and followed the hall down to the end where Edward's room was across from mine.

I stopped and glanced back just in time to see Rose and Emmett disappear into their room, sending up a quick prayer that they kept it quiet. And that I'd remembered to close the door to the bathroom that joined the two rooms. I don't think they would even notice an open door and Alice probably wouldn't want to listen in on their fun times.

I rapped my knuckles against Edward's door and waited. Half a dozen seconds later the door was pulled open and I was met with a pair of soft brown eyes that showed enough irritation that I took an involuntary step back. The irritation flashed over to amusement as Bella watched my response and I heard a chuckle come from behind her. I needed to remember to tell Emmett that Rose was right; the small ones could be really scary sometimes.

"What's up, Jasper?" Bella asked, every ounce of irritation gone from her expression.

"Water's boiling." I glanced over her shoulder as Edward came up behind her, pushing the door open the rest of the way so he could squeeze by us, heading back into the kitchen. I watched him go before turning back to Bella. "You okay?"

She shrugged and leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Yeah, I guess. Just wish you guys wouldn't worry so much."

I gave her a smile and leaned in, pressing a friendly kiss to her cheek. "It's only

'cause we love you, darlin'." The exaggerated Texas drawl made her smile. Mission accomplished.

"Thanks, Jasper." She gave me a quick hug before heading out to join Edward. I turned and went to the door directly across the hall, opening it and walking in to find Alice sitting Indian style on the bed, her laptop open in front of her.

She looked up as I shut the door and smiled. "Everything okay?"

I nodded and opened my mouth to say something, only to be distracted by the sounds coming from the room next to us. Looks like Em and Rose were having a _very _good time. I grinned and moved toward the bed, pushing Alice's computer out of the way as I leaned into her, forcing her back on the bed.

"It will be."

* * *

**Reviews make me tingle inside. **

**: ): ): )**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, check it out. It's a new chapter that you didn't have to wait weeks for. And guess what, I even got chapter twelve already done. It's in the hands of my beloved beta as we speak. Er, type. :)**

**The song at the beginning is 'Rev 22:20' by Puscifer. The version on the Underworld soundtrack.**

* * *

**James POV**

_Don't be aroused by my confession  
__Unless you don't give a good goddamn about redemption.  
__I know Christ is coming and so am I  
__You would to if the sexy devil caught your eye_

I groaned and let my head fall back against the headboard, my fingers tangled in natural blonde hair as the head attached to it gave me the best head of my life. My free hand slammed down on the mattress beside me, hitting the remote and inadvertently turning the volume on the radio up before I pushed it out of the way so I could better grip the sheets.

_She'll suck you dry, and still you'll cry  
__To get back in her bosom, to do it again  
__She'll make you weep and moan and cry  
__To be back in her bosom  
__To do it again_

"Fuck yeah, baby." Her tongue swirled around the tip of my dick before she took me in so deep I felt myself being pushed down the back of her throat. Ah, no gag reflex. I think I could love this woman.

_Pray, 'til I go blind  
__Pray, 'cause nobody ever survives  
__Praying to stay in your arms  
__Just until I can die a little bit longer  
__Saviors and saints, devils and heathens alike  
__She'll eat you alive_

She moaned softly and sent vibrations through my dick, making my hips jerk into her mouth. She wrapped one hand around the base of me, stroking what she didn't currently have her mouth wrapped around, while her other hand trailed sharp nails down my chest, over my stomach. My muscles clenched and I came up off the headboard with a choked cry just in time to be deep throated again.

_Jesus is risen  
__It's no surprise  
__Even he would martyr his momma  
__To ride to Hell between those thighs_

Using my hold on her hair, I tugged her up my body until she was straddling my lap. I moved my hand from her hair and gripped her hips in both my hands, holding her in place as I slammed up into her body; no warning, no foreplay. But she didn't need it, she was so wet already, and she enjoyed the force.

_The pressure is building  
__At the base of my spine  
__If I've gotta sin to see her again  
__Then I'm gonna lie, lie, lie  
__She'll make you cry_

She cried out and threw her head back, revealing a long line of perfect throat, her breasts bouncing with the force of my thrusts. She tried to move with me but I held on tight, digging my fingers into her hips so hard I knew there would be bruises. She just moaned louder.

_I'll sell my soul to be back in your bosom  
__Gladly, now please suck me dry  
__And still you'll cry  
__To be back in her bosom  
__To do it again_

I yanked her hips forward slightly, changing the angle of my thrusts without breaking rhythm. Her hands were moving over her breasts, pinching her nipples, going up her throat then into her hair, holding it off her pretty face as she looked down at me. I leaned in and took a nipple between my teeth, biting down hard until she cried out and there was a nearly bloody imprint of my teeth left behind.

_My pulse has been rising  
__My temples are pounding  
__The pressure is so overwhelming and building  
__So steady there, Freddy  
__I'm ready to blow  
__What is she - What is she - What is she waiting for!_

I felt her body tense and her walls clench around me as she screamed her orgasm, drawing mine in a mind numbing rush right after. I pounded up into her until I was spent, then let her go, peeling my fingers away from her hips and letting her collapse against my chest. My arm wrapped around her back as we both fought to catch our breath.

"Mm, that was amazing." Her throaty laugh followed her words and I felt a lazy smile tug at my lips.

"That it was, Kelsey, my dear." I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, relaxing against the headboard at my back. "That it was."

With trembling arms, Kelsey pushed herself up enough to roll off of me and onto the bed beside me, propping herself up on a few stacked pillows. Maybe before she left I'd use those pillows to prop her ass up and take her from behind.

My dick twitched at the thought but told me to fuck off for the time being. Ah, well. Guess that meant it was time to get down to business.

"What's your plan?" I asked, shifting over until I could reach the cigarettes on the nightstand. It was non smoking room but after that orgasm, I needed a cigarette, so the management could just kiss my tired ass.

Kelsey was too busy reveling in the feel of her own mind blowing orgasm to pay me much mind, but she did manage to answer my question. "You said she was the good Samaritan type." I glanced over at her and made a noise of agreement. "Then we need to get her by herself and in a giving mood."

I took a long drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke out towards the ceiling before responding. "And just how do you propose we do that? Edward's not going to let her out of his sight."

She smiled up at me and I could see the plan forming behind those pretty blue eyes. "He has to go to work sometime."

I listened as she laid out her plan in perfect detail and with such confidence that I didn't have a single doubt that it would work. We sorted out the minor details and settled on a day; I had enough information about their schedules that we wouldn't have to wait for very long to put the plan into motion.

**Edward POV**

The first night with everybody in the same house was turning out to be entertaining to say the least. Bella and I were the only ones left in the kitchen and there were enough thumps and thuds coming from Emmett and Rosalie's room to make it easy to guess what was going on in there. It was a safe bet to say Alice and Jasper were also having their own festivities.

I sighed to fight back the wave of arousal I felt on a normal basis around Bella; it was ten times worse knowing my two best friends were enjoying themselves just down the hall. But it never even occurred to me to mention it to Bella. She's the one that brought it up.

"You must be getting frustrated right about now, huh?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. When I looked at her perched on the counter beside the stove, she was looking down at her knees, fingers curled around the edge of the countertop.

"What?" The question came out of nowhere, I didn't even pretend to know what she was thinking about.

She looked towards the hall and gestured a hand in that general direction just as another loud thump implied someone just got slammed up against a wall. "Them. And we're not…"

I put down the spoon - metal this time - I had been using to stir the rice and scooted over to her, pushing her knees apart so I could stand in between them. Her eyes had dropped back to her knees so I hooked my fingers under her chin and lifted her face up so I could meet her gaze.

"I don't care about that, Bella, you know that." She looked a little pained but I cut off whatever she was about to say. "We'll take that step when you're ready and not before." I made sure my voice was firm and waited until she nodded her acknowledgment before I continued. "The only reason I'm frustrated is because I have a beautiful woman who keeps trying to put my needs before her own. So stop it." I gave her my crooked smile and earned one from her in return.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to the edge of the counter so I could press our bodies tight together before claiming her lips in a gentle but passionate kiss that lit my body on fire. She tangled her hands in my hair as I licked her lips, begging for entrance and moaning softly when it was granted.

I carefully towed the boundary between kissing her senseless and pressing the issue of sex with a skill I had only just recently honed. Even so, I felt the frustrations she accused me of having building up inside of _her _and knew it wouldn't be long before we would both need a release. My body got excited at the very thought and I forced myself to pull back from the kiss, not trusting myself to tow the line any longer.

With a last, chaste brush of lips, I turned back to the stove, stirring the rice to make sure it didn't stick. After a few seconds I heard the soft _thump, thump _of Bella's heels hitting the cabinets below her.

"What's wrong, love?"

She looked over at me, eyes a little wide in surprise. "What?"

I gestured with my rice covered spoon to her restless feet before offering her a small smile. "You're restless. You only get restless when something's on your mind."

She blushed and looked down at her knees again, shrugging. "It's nothing. Just…" She paused but I didn't push her. I knew she'd tell me what it was eventually; otherwise she wouldn't have even said anything. "Why does James really want you so badly?"

I sighed, taking the rice off the burner and turning the element off before taking her hand and giving it a gentle tug. She hopped off the counter and I pulled her into the circle of my arms, resting my cheek against her hair. "I don't know, Bella."

I heard a sniffle come from her and pulled back, dipping my head so I could see her face and the tears forming in her eyes. "Hey, baby, don't cry." I wiped at the tears with my thumbs, preventing her from turning her face away from me. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She met my eyes then, a look of disbelief on her face. "I'm worried about _you_, Edward." She sniffed and ran her hands over her face, scrubbing away her tears. "I couldn't bear it if James caught you."

I fought back a sigh and pulled her back against my chest. Of course she wasn't worried about what James might do to her; she was worried about what James wanted to do to me. "Shh, it's okay. He's not going to get either of us so don't worry yourself over it."

She said something that was muffled against my chest and I pulled back so I could look down at her again. "What was that?"

Another sniff and then the floodgates opened up again, as silent as before but she couldn't seem to stop the flow down her cheeks. "I said I don't want to lose you." _Sniff. _"I love you."

I froze, unable to believe what I'd just heard. Even my heart stopped, not wanting to hope, not wanting to risk the possibility that I'd misheard her. "What did you say?"

Her eyes went wide and a look of shocked embarrassment crossed her face before she looked down at the floor. I got the distinct impression she hadn't meant to say it out loud but now that she had, I couldn't just let it go. "Bella?"

She took a step back, wringing her hands together but still not looking at me. After a few very long seconds she said, "I said, I love you."

My heart soared and my breathing joined my body and my heart in freeze mode. A part of me was terrified at her words and the feelings they evoked within me but the other part wanted to jump around the room like an excited child.

I must have taken too long to respond because Bella looked up, embarrassment and fear in her watery eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" I cut her off when I pulled her to me and kissed her, throwing everything I felt for her into that kiss. She tensed up until she realized what I was doing, at which point she relaxed against me and gave herself over to the kiss.

The desperate need for oxygen forced me to break the kiss and I put my forehead against her, my hands cradling her face. I could feel the smile on my face and couldn't do anything to stop it. Despite the very unhappy circumstances we were in right now, I couldn't help but feel on top of the world.

"You don't know how happy you just made me, Bella." I whispered, looking down into her eyes as I kissed her lips again, soft and tender. "I love you, too." A look of relief chased away the other emotions from her eyes and she smiled up at me.

The oven timer pulled us from our moment with the promise of food. I sighed and placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling away and, cursing its bad timing, pulled the finished chicken out of the oven. It would figure a pivotal moment in our relationship would be interrupted by something as mundane as dinner.

"I'll go get Jasper and Alice." Bella stood on her toes to kiss my cheek but I turned in time to catch her lips with mine, earning a smile from her before she headed down the hall. I heard a knock and then there was a long enough pause that I assumed someone was getting dressed. Muffled conversation was heard and then Alice and Bella came out into the dining room.

"Where's Jasper?" I asked, transferring the rice into a glass serving bowl.

Bella looked back over her shoulder into the hallway. "I made him get Emmett and Rose. I already walked in on them once." She and Alice shared a laugh and Bella shuddered, muttering something about being scarred for life.

There was another knock and then I heard the door open. I'd just heard another thump from within Emmett's room so I assumed it was Jasper who opened the door. A second later my suspicion was confirmed when I heard Jasper yell, "Rodeo!" and slam the door.

A muffled, "Jasper, you fucker!" from Emmett reached my ears and I laughed, bumping fists with Jasper when he came into the kitchen to help put food out.

"You know he's going to get you back for that," I stated, putting a roll of paper towels on the table.

Jasper shrugged, completely unconcerned. "Unlike him, I know to keep my doors locked."

I bit back another laugh as Emmett came out of the room, followed by a very amused Rosalie. I would have expected her to be pissed but she seemed to think the whole thing was funny.

"Jasper, you ass fuck, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you. You made her fucking bite me!" Jasper just laughed and I pressed a kiss on top of Bella's head as I walked behind her to hide my own grin.

"You probably enjoyed it, Em, so quit bitchin'." I said, taking a seat next to Bella at the table.

Rosalie smirked and sat down next to Alice. "I'll lick it and make it better later."

Jasper and I traded looks as it got cleared up just _what _Rosalie bit down on. I shifted uncomfortably and fought the urge to wince at a pain I hadn't even felt.

"Well, in that case." Emmett's mood brightened and he sat down next to Rose, leaning over to whisper something in her ear that caused her to push him away with a laugh.

We laughed and made idle chit chat while the food was passed around and plates were filled. As everyone settled down to eat, the occasional comment thrown would draw a response or a laugh and for a brief time, the troubles that had brought us all together under one roof were forgotten and everyone was at ease.

Once all the food was gone, the girls insisted on cleaning up, despite my protests that they were guests in my house. Alice told me in no uncertain terms to shut the hell up and that was the end of the conversation. Emmett, Jasper and I gathered around the far end of the table, sharing a round of scotch I kept for celebrations or particularly stressful days.

Emmett downed half the amber liquid in his tumbler before jumping headfirst into a less light-hearted conversation. "I talked to Caleb."

I paused with my own tumbler halfway to my mouth and looked at him, leaning forward in my seat and placing the glass back on the table. "And?" I knew if he'd gotten in touch with Caleb it hadn't been a social call. Not if he was mentioning it to me now.

Jasper looked a little confused and I remembered that he hadn't been around when Emmett and I had gotten involved in the shit in Chicago. We'd developed such a close bond with him since we'd moved to Seattle, it was hard to believe he hadn't been with us from the beginning.

"Caleb is a parole officer back in Chicago. We went to school with him and have kept in touch. He helped me when he could, especially when I got stupid and ended up in cuffs." Jasper nodded his understanding and I looked back to Emmett expectantly.

Emmett sighed and tossed back the rest of his scotch. "He says James wasn't supposed to leave the Chicago area but his parole officer hasn't reported him missing."

I made a disgusted sound and finished off my own glass, reaching for the bottle to pour another one. "Great. So his parole officer's in on whatever James is planning. What else?"

"Caleb got me the details of James' original plea bargain." Emmett's voice was low and serious.

I looked up at him, stunned. That was the one piece of information none of us had been able to get, not even when I was first testifying against him. And it was a piece that would definitely even out the playing field. "I'm listening."

Emmett leaned forward with his elbows on the table and gestured for Jasper to do the same. Obviously he didn't want to risk the girls overhearing. "He turned over Sully's name and contacts. It's also the reason he got out early; the police are using him the same way they used you."

I was too shocked to speak for a minute. And then, like the finishing piece of a very complicated puzzle, the big picture came together in crystal clarity. "He wants to use me as a scapegoat." I looked between Emmett and Jasper, both of whom didn't seem to be following my thought train too closely. "He sold Sully out and once Sully finds out, James will wish like hell he was dead long before it happens. James wants me back under his wing so he can pin everything on me. After all, I've already sold out one person to the cops. It's not a big leap to think I'd do it again."

Emmett sat back with a look on his face like I'd just hit him with a two by four. "Of course. It all makes sense now. We were all wondering why James hadn't tried to kill you yet. If he keeps you alive, he gets off clean." He shook his head and had a look of admiration on his face. "It's brilliant."

Jasper gave him a look and Emmett just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it is, from an unbiased standpoint."

I snorted and finished off the last of my scotch. "Now that we know what's going on, what are we going to do about it?"

Emmett sighed but it was Jasper who spoke up. "Is there anyway to prove James sold Sully out?"

I shrugged and sat back in my chair. "It won't matter if there's proof once Sully finds out. He kills people he even suspects of betrayal. Sully is just a sadistic bastard, but it's how he has made it this long; he has an uncanny sense of survival."

Jasper gestured with his hands for me to follow the idea just as I realized what I said. "We're going to have to get in touch with Sully."

Emmett stiffened. "He'll kill you before he'll talk to you."

"I'll do it." Emmett and I turned to Jasper with identical looks of pained shock on our faces. "Look, he doesn't know me. I'll be able to get closer to him than either of you would be able to."

Emmett shook his head. "I don't like it, man. If Sully's done any research on us, he knows about you. You try and get in touch with him and you could be walking into a trap. Best case scenario."

"I agree," I said. "Sully isn't someone we really want to take chances with."

Jasper sat back but didn't say anything. I had a feeling he was going over the facts and would come back with a better, smarter argument later.

Our conversation was interrupted when our respective girlfriends came back to the table. A shared look between the three of us said we would keep this new information from them until we'd figured out what to do about it. It wouldn't do any good to have them worry over something for no reason and, worst case, Rosalie or Alice might try Jasper's idea without telling us.

I pulled Bella's chair over until I could drape my arm over her shoulders, placing a kiss behind her ear and smiling at the shiver it sent down her spine. After a little while, we all moved into the living room and put on a movie. Emmett and Rose were the first to leave, having spent half the movie making out in the recliner. Alice and Jasper at least waited until the end credits were rolling.

Bella and I shared a laugh at our friends as I got up and put another movie in. Neither of us were really tired and it wasn't all that late so another movie wouldn't hurt anything. I climbed back into my spot, with my back against the arm of the couch, and Bella got between my legs, lying on my chest. I pressed play and wrapped my arms around her, settling back into the comfortable position we'd been in during the last movie.

The movie had been playing for a while when Bella decided she needed to shift and in doing so, rubbed against my crotch, getting my blood flowing despite my desperate attempt to keep it from happening. I knew she could feel me against her hip when she looked up at me but it wasn't embarrassment flushing her face.

Our gazes locked for a few seconds and the look in her eyes was one of heat and desire so raw it made my breath hitch in my throat. Without any further warning, she leaned forward and kissed me, her hands braced against my chest. I hesitated but my control was only so strong. When she deliberately rubbed her body against my erection I surrendered, tangling my hand in her hair and sliding my tongue between her lips, swallowing her soft moan, the sound only serving to encourage me.

Bella moved her hands down my chest to the bottom of shirt, slipping them under the fabric and hesitantly pulling my shirt up. I shifted to make it easier for her and broke our kiss so she could get the shirt off completely. She let it drop to the floor as I cradled her face in my hands, kissing her lips gently before pulling back to look into her eyes, searching for any hesitation about what we might be heading towards. Seeing none, I wrapped one arm around her waist and shifted us until she was on her back under me.

I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her again briefly before moving my lips along her jaw and down to her throat. She arched up against me, her short nails digging into my sides while I dropped my hands to her waist, getting a firm grip and keeping her pressed against me. I sucked on the skin above her racing pulse and was rewarded with a breathy moan right next to my ear.

I released her pulse, licking and kissing my way up to her ear. "Maybe we should take this into the bedroom." My own voice had dropped an octave with my desire and I felt a shudder rip through her body as she nodded.

I wrapped an arm under her back and got to my knees, lifting her with me and using my free hand to guide her legs around my waist. She locked her arms behind my neck and I kissed her again before getting to my feet, taking a second to balance us before starting towards my bedroom. I managed to get us through the door without banging either one of us against anything and felt quite proud of myself.

When I got to the bed, I carefully crawled onto it on my knees before lowering her down, bracing myself with one hand on the bed, using the other to keep her from falling. She kept her legs wrapped around me as I leaned in for another kiss, grinding my throbbing erection against her center. She gasped and I moved my hands to her shirt, easing it up her body until we had to part again so I could remove it.

I held myself above her so I could take in the sight before me, one hand moving up her side, feeling the smooth skin under my palm. She shifted uncomfortably and I smiled down at her to ease her discomfort. "You're so beautiful, Bella." She blushed and my smile widened as I shifted until I was holding myself up on my elbows beside her head, my fingers caressing her burning cheeks. "Especially when you blush." I claimed her lips in another long kiss, thinking I would die a happy man if she would just kiss me for the rest of eternity. All of my worries disappeared when she kissed me.

I broke the kiss to move down her neck again, continuing on this time until I reached the tops of her breasts, placing a soft kiss on each one as my hands moved to her bra straps, pulling them down her shoulders. I lifted her up enough so I could reach behind her and unsnap her bra, raising my eyes to meet hers as I eased the material off her arms. Her breathing had already picked up and I had to take my eyes away from hers, looking down her body and groaning at the sight. Beautiful just didn't even cover it.

I ran my hand lightly across her breast, my palm brushing over her nipple and making her eyes flutter shut for a second. When she opened them and looked at me again, I lowered my head, holding her gaze as I took her nipple into my mouth and sucked gently. Her eyes closed again and her head went back, effectively breaking our eye contact, and I turned my attention to the smooth flesh in my mouth.

I sucked and licked as her breathing quickened and she moved her hands to my shoulders, fingers gripping to anchor herself. I pulled away and placed a parting kiss on her breast before moving to the other one and lavishing it with the same attention. Her back arched and I groaned around her nipple as her hips pressed against mine.

My fingers brushed down her sides and over her stomach, making their way to her jeans. I worked the button open with one hand while my other slipped around behind her, sliding down the back of her jeans to cup her ass. I used that hand to lift her up so I could pull her jeans down, dropping them to the floor like I had her shirt and bra.

I sat back on my knees between her legs and admired her body, pale against my dark sheets. The contrast was amazing and made her look like a fallen angel come to seduce me into a life of sin. I almost smiled at the thought, my hands going to rest on her hips.

I let my eyes wander up to her face and the look in her eyes had changed from complete desire to desire with a hint of fear. Her eyes were just a little too wide for my liking and it made me worried. I leaned over her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before whispering, "Bella, what's wrong?"

She blushed and turned her head to the side. I gently forced her to turn back and look at me, my concern overpowering my desire. "What is it? You can tell me."

She looked indecisive for a moment before the blush deepened and she looked at my chest since I wouldn't let her turn away. "I've never… I don't…" Brown eyes met mine and her embarrassment was obvious. "I don't want to disappoint you."

I shook my head and frowned. "Oh, Bella. You could never disappoint me, love." I brushed her hair back and fanned it out around her. "Why do you think you would disappoint me?"

She shrugged as best she could lying flat on her back but wouldn't answer me. And then it hit me. I knew she was a virgin but I never thought she would be embarrassed because she didn't know what she was doing.

"Bella, love. Please don't be embarrassed about your inexperience." I kissed her forehead, moving to kiss each eyelid, then her nose, finally ending on her mouth. "Your first time is supposed to be about you." I offered her a small, encouraging smile that seemed to lessen her embarrassment some. "You'll learn everything else later."

She shifted under me and I inhaled sharply when she brushed against my dick again. A strange look crossed her face and she repeated the movement with a little more force, adding pressure to her rubbing and my eyes closed while my nerve endings tingled.

"Was that something I should be learning?" Her voice held a hint of teasing and when I opened my eyes I saw her embarrassment had been replaced with a subtle look of mischief.

I narrowed my eyes playfully and gripped her hips to hold her still when she went to move again. "Don't tease."

She smirked up at me and I felt a slow smile curve my own lips before I pulled her forcefully against me, grinding against her center again and without her jeans in the way as a buffer, she got the full feeling. The gasped moan that dragged from her throat was the sexiest sound I'd ever heard.

"Now where was I?" I lowered my head back to her breast and gave it a few kisses before starting a slow trail of open mouthed kisses down her stomach, feeling her muscles flinch and flutter under my lips when I hit a particularly sensitive spot. I detoured to her side, kissing down to her hip then following the line of her panties to the other hip.

I hooked my fingers under the elastic and inched her underwear down, kissing each newly exposed bit of skin until I had them off and they joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. I kissed the inside of her knee and trailed little butterfly kisses up the inside of her thigh, stopping just short of heaven to switch to the other thigh, kissing back down to her knee.

I looked up her body at her face and she blushed again, trying to close her legs. I put a hand on each thigh and shook my head. "Don't be embarrassed, Bella. You're beautiful."

She swallowed and let me push her legs apart. I kissed her hip and down the crease where thigh met hip, brushing the outside of her lips and causing her to jerk with the sensation. I moved one hand up and ran one finger over her folds. Bella's breathing had picked up and her chest was heaving and I hadn't even gotten to the good parts yet.

I found her clit with my thumb and rubbed slow circles over and around it. She whimpered and closed her eyes, turning her head to the side, though I could still see her expression. I added a little more pressure and she bit her lip, muffling a moan.

"Don't be embarrassed. I want to hear you." I whispered the words against her thigh as my index finger traced around her entrance, my thumb keeping steady circles around her clit.

She opened her eyes just enough so she could see me and nodded. I pressed a kiss on the inside of her thigh as I slowly slid my finger inside of her. She gasped a soft "Oh, god" and moaned when I pulled my finger out and slid it back in. I added a second finger, feeling her stretch around my fingers. Her hands moved to the sheets and then to her hair as if she couldn't figure out what to do with them.

I curled my fingers inside her, thrusting slowly as her hips lifted, unconsciously trying to push up against my hand. I moved my free hand to her hip and applied just enough pressure to keep her still. I kissed from her hip to just above her folds, my thumb still circling around her clit. When I stopped the movements of my thumb she whimpered and I smiled against her before replacing my thumb with my tongue.

She cried out and arched up against my mouth as my tongue circled her clit before running a flat line from her entrance to her clit. I took the little bundle of nerves between my lips and sucked on it, drawing moans from Bella's throat that made my dick twitch with anticipation. I moved my fingers a little faster inside of her, the tips of my fingers hitting that spot inside her body while my tongue lavished attention everywhere else.

I felt her walls clench around my fingers and knew she was close. She whimpered and the sound was a little confused, a little less pleasure filled. I pulled back and pressed a kiss on her thigh, returning my thumb to its position on her clit.

"Don't fight it, Bella." Even to my own ears my voice was husky. I continued thrusting my fingers in and out of her, keeping the pressure up on her clit as I spoke. "Just feel it, let it wash over you."

She whimpered again and it faded into a low moan as she clenched around my fingers again. Almost there. I moved a little faster, adding a little more pressure against her g-spot. That was all she needed and her walls closed tightly around my fingers, her hands gripping the sheets and her body arching.

"That's it, baby. Come for me." She caught her breath and a final, strangled moan was dragged from her throat as she rode her first orgasm. When her walls loosened around me I eased my fingers out, pressing a kiss to her sensitive clit before moving back up her body.

Her face was slack with the pleasure but her hands were still gripping the sheets. I brushed my knuckles across her cheek and she opened her eyes, looking at me from under heavy lids. I smiled down at her, more than a little satisfied with myself. "You okay, love?"

She nodded and licked her lips, releasing the sheets from her grip and moving her hands to my sides. I dipped my head and claimed her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. Her hands moved to the front of my jeans and fumbled over the button and zipper before I moved them away and finished what she started. Our lips never parted as my jeans and boxers joined her clothes on the floor.

I settled back between her legs and she pulled back from the kiss, her breathing ragged and her eyes a little wide. I started to ask if she wanted to stop but she lifted up to kiss me again and silenced any thoughts about stopping I might have had. She took control of the kiss, pushing her tongue into my mouth and earning a groan from me. I tangled my fingers into her hair and pressed my erection against her wet folds, careful not to push inside her yet.

She gasped and dropped her head back on the pillows, looking up at me. I moved my free hand in between us to adjust myself and pushed gently against her entrance, drawing a whimper from her as she closed her eyes.

"Bella, love, look at me," I said, barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes and met mine. "Are you ready for this?" I heard her swallow but she didn't answer me right away. I was fighting for control but my control was wearing thin. If we were going to stop, it had to be now. "Tell me to stop."

Bella kept her eyes on mine and pressed a kiss against my lips. "No. Don't stop." Her voice was husky and sent shivers down my spine.

I held her gaze and pushed slowly into her, having to fight for every centimeter despite how wet she was. Her fingers curled into my sides, digging her short nails into my skin. Her body tensed around me as I reached her barrier and I stopped, releasing the breath I'd been holding. She whimpered again, this time from the discomfort she was feeling.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay." I pressed a kiss to her lips, forcing her to relax them from the tight line they'd been in. "You have to relax, love."

She nodded and took a deep breath. I felt every muscle as it relaxed and I started pushing forward again. She started to tense up again and I whispered, "Relax" as I thrust forward in a long, slow movement that broke through her barrier and kept going. She cried out and her nails dug into my sides hard enough that I was sure she cut through the skin. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes and I leaned in, kissing them away before they could fall.

I continued to press forward despite her pain; it would hurt more if I paused and then started again. "I'm sorry, baby." Logic or not, I hated causing her pain. "Just a little bit more." A few seconds stretched into an eternity later; I was all the way in, pressed flush against her body. I wrapped an arm under her and held her tight against me, kissing her cheeks, eyes, forehead and lips softly until her body began to relax.

I waited until her entire body had relaxed under me before propping myself up with my elbows on either side of her head. "Are you okay?"

She met my gaze and nodded, licking her lips. "I'm okay now."

I slowly started to pull out of her, placing a kiss on her lips when she winced but she didn't tense up, so I didn't pause. Once I had pulled almost all the way out, I started pushing back in. This time was easier and she barely winced. A few more slow thrusts later and she was past the pain, her hands relaxed on my sides.

I cautiously started moving a little faster and when she showed no more signs of pain, I moved with a little more confidence. Bella gasped and her fingers tensed again, but this time her body moved with mine and I could feel her becoming more aroused. I ran my fingers through her hair and claimed her lips, having to adjust a little to be able to kiss her and keep thrusting. Adjusting changed the angle and she cried out into my mouth. I changed my long thrusts to shallow ones intent on hitting her g-spot, swallowing her moans and cries as they left her lips.

I began alternating between short, shallow thrusts and long, deep thrusts, getting her to the edge of orgasm before going deep to give her body a little less stimulation. Once she came down from the edge of her release, I went back to shallow thrusts that got her close again.

I could feel my own orgasm building and fought to hold it off, wanting her to come first. I kept up the shallow thrusts this time until I felt her body tighten around me so tightly I groaned. She screamed into my mouth, digging her nails into me as her orgasm washed over her. I thrust into her once, twice, three more times before her tightened walls brought my own orgasm. My body continued to move, prolonging her orgasm until I was spent and unable to keep moving.

I watched as she came down from her high, taking in the wondrous sight of the woman I love experience the height of pleasure. Her body started to relax, muscle by muscle, her fingers uncurled from my sides and her walls released me. I pulled out of her with a reluctant sigh and pulled her against me as I moved to lie on my back beside her. She curled up against my side, her breathing still a little erratic.

I pressed a kiss to her hair, wrapping one arm around her back while I brought my other hand around to caress her cheek, moving her hair back from her face. She raised her eyes to look at me and gave me a small smile.

"Edward," she paused to take a breath. "That was amazing."

I returned her smile and leaned in to kiss her lips before laying my head back against the pillows. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. The next time will be better, though."

Bella gave me wide eyes and her breath hitched. "It gets better?"

I nodded, my smile widening. "Much."

She shivered and moaned a soft sound I wouldn't have heard if I wasn't so attuned to her. "I don't know if I can handle 'better'."

I ran my fingertips over her lips. "I'll teach you."

She met my gaze and nodded, her lips parting against my fingers before kissing each tip ever so softly. I pulled my hand away before the feel of her lips got me aroused again and held her a little tighter. She laid her head on my chest and after a few minutes, her breathing evened out and she was asleep. I stayed awake for another hour, just watching her sleep before my eyes got heavy and I drifted off.

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**So how did I do on the Bella/Edward scene. This was the chapter I was most excited about writing and most nervous about posting. **


	12. Chapter 12

**W00t update. Haha, hope you guys enjoy. **

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**Edward POV**

A quick knock on the door had me awake and ready to move. Too many years of hurried knocks delivering news of impending cops or deals gone bad meant I was fully aware by the time the door opened and Alice walked in, already talking.

"Edward, why'd you leave your…Oh." She stopped two feet inside the door and took in the sight before her. Bella was still curled against my side, her bare back turned towards Alice. The sheet had ridden down during the night and was just barely high enough over our lower bodies to be decent.

I arched a single brow at the pixie who had bothered us so early in the morning. I noticed she had my shirt in her hand, currently hanging at her side, and assumed the sentence she'd cut short had been her asking why I left my shirt in the living room. Well, she'd gotten her answer alright, but she needed to leave before Bella woke up.

"Just toss it in that chair, Alice." I nodded my head towards the chair by the door. She turned and looked at it before laying the shirt neatly over the arm of the chair.

"Sorry about that. I'll just go." She was already backing out the door.

I grinned at her and chuckled when she almost tripped over her own two feet. She turned to go down the hallway. "The door, Alice." I kept my voice soft so as not to wake Bella but Alice still heard me. She grinned and pulled the door closed. I sighed and relaxed, easing down from the rude awakening. Bella stirred but didn't wake up.

A glance at the clock told me it was almost time for me to get up so I reached over and made sure my alarm was turned off. As much as I was dreading the idea, I had to go to work and keep the shop running. Jasper had a meeting with the owners of another small bike shop looking to merge with us and Emmett was going to be running reconnaissance to try and find out what he could on James' deal with the police and ways to contact Sully. That left me to run the store.

I was reluctant to move from my warm, comfortable spot so I stayed in bed far longer than I should have. When I finally did try and ease my way out from under Bella, she woke up enough to get a hold around my waist and pull me back to her. I laughed softly and carefully extricated myself from her grip, causing her to wake completely.

"Morning, love." I smiled down at her, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Her smile was lazy and showed she was still half asleep. "Mm, morning." She rolled onto her stomach, pulling one of the pillows down in front of her body and wrapping her arms and legs around it. "Where are you going?"

I sighed and picked at the edge of the pillow she was holding. "Work. Someone's got to run the shop and Jacob's out of town."

A small pout formed on her lips but quickly disappeared. "You have to go, then?"

I nodded and brushed her hair off her face, leaning in to brush another kiss across her lips before I stood. "I'd ask you to join me in the shower but I'm running late as it is." I smirked down at her and got a grin in return. "I can't afford the distraction."

She laughed and shooed me towards the bathroom. I got a quick shower and walked back into the bedroom, towel wrapped tight around my waist, to find Bella asleep with her face buried in the pillow she was holding. I padded silently around the room, pulling on jeans and a black t-shirt with the shop logo on it, staying as quiet as possible so as not to wake Bella again.

I ran the towel over my hair to try and dry some of the water out of it before tossing the towel in the laundry bin. I bent over and pressed a kiss against Bella's temple, causing her to smile in her sleep, and murmured a soft, "Be safe, my love." before making my way to the door. I shut it behind me, making sure it latched before I moved into the kitchen. Alice and Emmett were sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast. Guess Jasper and Rosalie already left.

"Morning, Edward. Have fun last night?" Emmett spoke around a mouthful of eggs.

I shot him the look the comment deserved and grabbed an apple from the large bowl on the counter. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. And don't bother her about it, either." My first comment was playful but the second left no room for argument. I didn't want Emmett embarrassing Bella by making some inane comment.

Emmett held his hands up in the universal gesture of surrender and Alice giggled. I grabbed the keys to my motorcycle and left, figuring if I violated a few traffic laws I might just make it before nine.

**Bella POV**

When I woke again it was to an empty bed and a pillow that smelled like Edward. I sighed and snuggled closer to the pillow, inhaling his scent and thinking it might just be worth it to stay in bed all day. A knock on the door threw that idea straight out the window.

I sat up and looked around for my clothes, noticing my bra and jeans were in a completely different spot from my panties and shirt. Aiming hadn't really been all that important last night. I felt a smile tug at my lips at the thought and started edging towards the side of the bed, intent on gathering my clothes and getting dressed before answering the knock. I never got the chance.

"Come on, Bella, get up." Alice's chipper voice came from the now open door.

I shot a glare her way and pulled the sheet up around my chest, effectively covering myself even though she'd seen it before. Alice did have a habit of walking through unlocked doors without waiting for an invitation.

"Good morning to you, too, Alice. Now if you'll excuse me." I gestured toward the door and knew she got the hint. She also ignored it and bounced over to sit at the foot of the bed.

"So. How was it? How was he?" I suppressed a groan at her second question and shifted until I was sitting with my legs crossed under the sheet.

"Alice, come on." Maybe whining would get her to back off.

She stared me down with an expectant expression. Guess not. I sighed and looked down at my lap, memories of last night making my body tingle in places I hadn't known it could tingle. I smiled to myself and moved to get up out of the bed, ignoring Alice's squeak of protest as I wrapped the sheet around myself and walked to the bathroom.

At the door I turned and looked at her, contemplating what I could tell her that would get her to cease questioning me and wouldn't embarrass me too much to tell. Finally I said, "He's really big." Then I shut the door and turned on the shower, drowning out Alice's squeal/giggle hybrid.

When I got out of the shower Alice was no where to be seen. I got dressed in peace, wincing at the stiffness in my lower body. The hot shower had done wonders on my sore lower body but there was still some lingering tension. Once I got my jeans on, though, walking wasn't so bad. The blue silk shirt I pulled on was soft against my shower sensitive skin and I shivered.

I heard the TV in the living room and found Alice sitting on the couch, flipping through the cable channels. As soon as I came into the room, she jumped up and turned the TV off. I noticed her purse and both our jackets beside the door and turned a questioning look to her.

"Come on. We're going shopping."

I groaned and turned the puppy dog eyes on her. "Do we have to?" She narrowed her eyes at me and I surrendered, not really wanting to be cooped up in the house all day anyway. Although shopping wasn't exactly the activity I would have chosen. Then I remembered the reason I was supposed to stay in the house.

"What about James?"

Alice shrugged her shoulders but her eyes said she wasn't as calm and carefree as she wanted me to believe. "We'll be at the mall. Lots of crowds and no chance for him to grab you. Plus, you'll be attached to me the whole time."

I could imagine the pained look that crossed my face just then. "Does that mean…?"

Alice grinned at me and grabbed our jackets, handing me mine before shrugging into her own. The biggest reason I hated shopping with Alice was she always tried to get me to buy the most ridiculous lingerie imaginable. And I knew, now that she knew Edward and I had taken our relationship to the next level, she would be trying twice as hard. Wonderful.

"Fine, but I'm driving." I grabbed my keys off the kitchen counter and led us out to my truck after checking to make sure the house was locked tight.

We spent a good chunk of the day at the mall and, honestly, I had a blast. Even when Alice dragged me into the dreaded Victoria's Secret. I let her talk me into buying a half dozen bra/panty sets and two new outfits, only one of which I'd be willing to actually wear out somewhere besides a club, which I had been told we'd be going back to once this whole thing with James got settled.

Lunch was greasy fast food and more sex talk, despite my best efforts to guide the conversation in a different direction. It was just after four when we left the mall, figuring it'd be best to get back before Rosalie and Edward got off work. All things considered, they might panic if they came back to an empty house.

On the way back we got stopped in a traffic jam. Up ahead was a three car accident and, while the cops were working quickly to unblock the road, I doubted they'd be done anytime soon. I took a shortcut down a wide alley between two office buildings, coming out on a road parallel to the one we'd just been on but with only a handful of cars on it.

I was stopped at a red light when a song on the radio caught my attention. I turned the volume up and Alice and I started jamming. When the light turned green I stepped on the gas but I didn't see the car that was trying to run newly turned red light. My truck collided with their front fender and crumbled it instantly. At least I hadn't been going fast enough to spin their car around.

The two girls in the car looked startled and I sat there, feeling a little shocked myself. I turned to Alice to make sure she was okay before unbuckling my seatbelt. The accident hadn't been my fault but I had to make sure the other girls were okay. If I'd been going a little faster, I might've done a lot more damage.

I was already talking before I got completely out of the truck. "Oh my god, are you guys okay?" I walked around to the front of my truck where I could see the damage first hand. Their front fender had crumpled into the tire, making it impossible to drive the car without removing the fender.

The passenger was already out of the car and around to the drivers' side with the door open, checking on her friend. I made my way around the truck to them and crouched down next to the open door. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you coming."

I heard another door open behind me and then Alice's voice yelling, "Bella, look out!" I looked back at her then felt a sharp pain in the side of my neck. I gasped and turned back to the driver to see her holding an empty syringe. The sound of feet hitting the pavement turned my attention over to Alice, my vision starting to go fuzzy as I stood and tried to move away, stumbling over my own two feet and landing on my knees. I looked up just in time to see the passenger backhand Alice so hard she slammed against the hood of my truck and fell to the ground, unmoving.

I tried to get back up, to go to Alice, but I couldn't move. Fingers tangled in my hair and yanked my head back. I looked up into four - wait, four? - unfamiliar blue eyes and blinked, trying to refocus on the girl above me. Her lips were moving but it took a few seconds before her words penetrated my brain.

"She's pretty, James." James. The name sounded so familiar but I couldn't remember immediately. And then, suddenly, I remembered. I fought against my own body, my brain trying to make my body fight, struggling to get away. I succeeded only in turning my head to the side before it was yanked back, facing him. James.

As James' face appeared in my tunneling vision, his smile was of pure joy. I didn't even hear what he had to say before darkness closed over my vision and I lost all awareness.

**Alice POV**

My head was pounding so hard I felt nauseous and the shrill voices around me weren't helping any. With a groan I tried to lift my head, finding it wasn't as bad as I expected, though it felt like my head was full of cotton. My head fell back against the ground and I almost cried out as I hit a sensitive spot on my temple. My entire face was sensitive and I could feel every bump and crack in the asphalt beneath my cheek.

Wait. Asphalt?

I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it as the sun hit my eyes. I tried to focus through the pain of the worst headache I'd ever had and noticed a large black SUV driving away from me before my eyes closed again.

It all came back to me in a rush and I tried to sit up, reaching to try and get a hold of the truck and pull myself up. I stumbled against the vehicle but managed to get to my feet. A short pause to let my head clear and I was able to walk without too many problems. I reached into the passenger side and dug through my purse for my phone, scrolling through the contacts until I found Emmett's number. I hit the send button and put the phone to my ear, ignoring the way my head pounded in time to the ringing.

"Alice, what's up?"

"Emmett. James… he got…he got Bella." And then it hit me and I felt the tears coming. It didn't take long before I was sobbing, on the verge of hysterics.

"Alice, calm down. What happened?"

I told him everything, from my decision to take us shopping to the song on the radio to seeing the SUV drive away. I knew I was babbling and I couldn't stop. When I had told him all the details, I was sobbing again, unable to see through my tears.

"Breathe, Alice, I need you to stay focused." Emmett's voice was calm and commanding and I found myself responding instantly, my breathing and sobs slowing. "Good girl. Now, can you drive?"

I wiped at the tears still falling down my face and looked at the accident. The truck looked okay. Now could I actually drive and avoid having hysterics? "I don't know. Maybe." No, not maybe. Bella needed me. I had to. "Yes."

"Okay. Meet me back at the house. I'm going to pick up Edward." I nodded even though he couldn't see it and climbed into the driver's side, promising Emmett that I'd call if I couldn't make it on my own.

The truck pulled away from the other car without any problems and I was on my way. I was halfway to the house when I felt the trickling feeling of blood above my eye and noticed the gash in my forehead. Seeing this started a new wave of sobbing and I struggled to keep the truck on the road. Finally, I was pulling into the driveway, barely able to see through my tears.

No one was here yet and I couldn't make myself get out of the truck so I just sat there, staring at the steering wheel, sobbing. I don't know how long I sat there before the door opened. Emmett reached in and carefully uncurled my fingers from the steering wheel, getting an arm under my knees and managing to pull me out of the truck with very little effort.

Once inside the house I was put in a kitchen chair while Emmett retrieved a first aid kit. I saw Edward pacing in the kitchen, obviously waiting for Emmett before asking his questions.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. This is all my fault."

Edward paused in his pacing and turned angry eyes on me. "You should have stayed home like I told you to." His tone was furious and it took me a minute to realize he wasn't angry at me. He was angry at himself. Nevertheless, his comment made my tears come faster. This was all my fault.

"Edward, don't blame her. It's not helping." Emmett had come back with the first aid kit and started cleaning the gash on my forehead. I barely felt it.

"It's not her fault. It's mine." Edward turned and punched one of the cabinets, leaving a good dent right in the center. "I should never have let her out of my sight."

"Whatever you should or shouldn't have done, it doesn't matter now." Emmett stepped back and started cleaning up the bloody gauze. I gently touched my forehead, wondering why I hadn't noticed when he finished bandaging me. He threw the gauze in the trash and turned to his friend. "What are you going to do about it now?"

"Call Jasper." At the sound of Jasper's name I looked up, the last of the cotton in my head fading. I still had a headache and felt kind of numb but I could function.

"Already did. He's on his way." Emmett's words drew a relieved sigh from me. I didn't realize how badly I wanted Jasper's arms around me until I realized he wasn't here to hold me.

"Can I do anything?" I asked, my voice unsteady even to my own ears.

Edward turned to me and I watched him bite back a smart remark before shaking his head. "No." He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "When Jasper gets here, I need you and Rosalie to do exactly as he says. I can't be worrying about you right now."

I nodded, not taking his tone personally. The anger wasn't directed at me, at least not entirely. "You'll get her back, Edward. She's going to be okay." I didn't know how I knew that but I did. There wasn't a doubt in my mind Bella would be okay.

Edward nodded once before the sound of the lock turning drew our attention to the front door. I got to my feet, not wanting to be sitting down if James had decided to come back and try his luck. When Jasper walked through the door, however, I all but ran to him. He wrapped his arms around me and kicked the door shut before pulling back to look at the cut on my head. He pressed a soft kiss over the bandage and led me back to the kitchen, keeping a tight grip around my waist.

"Sorry it took me so long." He said. Emmett just nodded in acknowledgment before turning to Edward who'd already started speaking.

"I need you to stay here and make sure Alice and Rosalie don't try some stupid rescue mission." Jasper looked down at me and I knew he was waiting for my anger but I'd been hit with some common sense. It was best to leave the rescue to the people who knew what they were doing.

"What are you guys going to do?" Jasper asked.

The look on Edward's face made my toes curl. I never wanted to be on the receiving end of that look. "We're going to get her back." Jasper accepted this with a nod and, after a gesture from Emmett, followed the bigger man back into the master bedroom. I was left standing in front of Edward.

Without any warning I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing him with all my strength. I heard the exhale of air showing I'd knocked the breath out of him and after a second, he wrapped his arms around me. We stayed like that until Emmett came back out, followed by Jasper. Each of them was carrying a small duffel bag which they placed on the kitchen table.

Edward joined them by the table and they started unloading the bags. Guns and ammunition of all types were placed on the table and I just stared, wide eyed, until Rosalie walking in distracted me. She stopped and took in the arsenal on the table before looking at me.

"Where's Bella?"

Emmett turned and went over to where she was still standing in the open door and pulled her to him, shutting the door and making sure it locked. They had a whispered conversation where I assumed he told her what had happened because as soon as they were done talking, she came over and hugged me.

We both stood and watched as Emmett and Edward sorted out various guns and stuffed them into pockets, under waistbands, into holsters that were also pulled out of the bag and up jacket sleeves. A handful of guns remained and most of them went back into the bags. Jasper took one and stuffed it under his belt at the small of his back.

Emmett came over to Rose while Edward settled a few more things with Jasper and gave her the most passionate kiss I had ever witnessed. As they exchanged a few soft words I politely moved out of hearing range and then Edward and Emmett were gone.

Rose was still staring at the front door where Emmett had waved goodbye as he left when she spoke. "Is there anything we can do?"

Jasper shook his head even though her back was to him and she couldn't see it. "Only thing we can do is wait."

With a nod, Rosalie sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. The light from the screen flickered across her face but I could tell she wasn't really watching. I sighed and Jasper and I sat down in one of the recliners, settling in for what could be a very long wait.

**Bella POV**

I don't know what finally dragged me awake but the tingling in my hands was definitely the most persistent factor. I tried to roll over and get the circulation flowing again only to find that I couldn't. I was still too out of it to think much of this fact so I just tried again, coming to the realization I wasn't even laying down.

Confusion flooded me as my shoulders started throbbing. I tried to open my eyes and found that I couldn't see a damn thing and that got my blood pumping but even the adrenalin was not enough to shake free of whatever drug it was keeping me calm. With that thought, I remembered turning to see the driver of the car I'd hit stick me with a needle. After that it got fuzzy and before that I couldn't remember anything at all.

I heard the sounds of shuffling coming from my left and jerked my head towards the noise, though the movement was more of a slow turn then a jerk. Turning my head shifted my upper body slightly and I became more aware of the pain in my shoulders and the tingling in my fingers. I connected the two sensations and, after a futile tug on my arms, discovered my hands were tied behind my back.

The shuffling was very close now and after a few tense seconds I felt hands on my face. The blindfold was pulled off my face and I blinked in surprise. A man was crouched in front of me, in between my outstretched legs, and it took me a second in my drugged state to put a name to the face.

"James." My voice was hoarse and cracked halfway through his name but he just smiled at me. I remembered seeing him smiling above me right after…after what? After the second girl knocked Alice into the truck. Alice, who I'd gone shopping with earlier when we were supposed to stay at the house. Edward's house. Oh, god.

I must have said Edward's name because James laughed, tsk'ing me as he reached out. I tried to dodge his hand but my movements were still sluggish. His fingers brushed my hair back then cupped my cheek.

"Edward can't help you now, Bella. You belong to Sully and when your boyfriend tries to save you, he'll belong to me." James was taking far too much pleasure in this situation. I tried to pull my legs up against my chest, just to get them away from him, but only succeeded in bending my knees a little.

James ran his hands down my legs, forcing them straight again and letting his hands linger on my thighs. "Your motor functions will come back in a little while. The drug still hasn't worn off. By the time Sully gets here, though, you'll be fine." I tried to restrain my whimper, but I couldn't and I wanted to kick myself for being weak. James just laughed and stood, walking around behind me.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for you." His tone was deceptively innocent, just like we were having a casual conversation, but his next words were frightening. "Sully isn't known for being gentle with his playthings. I seem to remember the last girl he had was found in a park with pieces missing."

I swallowed down the fear that welled up within me, trying to convince myself he was just trying to scare me. My trembling body wasn't listening. James came back into my view and returned to his spot in front of me, sitting down with his legs crossed just out of reach of my outstretched legs.

"So," he said, continuing in the same easy tone. "I figure since this is probably the last time you'll be able to talk for a while, we might as well get to know each other."

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**Oooh, what's gonna happen next? Review and you shall see!**

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	13. Chapter 13

**As promised on the Twilighted thread, here is chapter thirteen right on the heels of chapter twelve's validation on Twilight (dot) net. A little Edward angst here and some serious badass Edward and Emmett. Wet, yet? ;)**

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**Emmett POV**

"Do you think you could have kept one alive?" I kicked the leg out of my way, the body attached jerking with the force. "Maybe?"

Edward grunted in front of me as he pulled a body from behind the couch, his fingers curled in the dead man's shirt. A groan sounded from the not-so-dead man when Edward shook him. He turned to me with a look that said clearly, 'This one good enough?'

"He'll do." I sighed and moved to sit on the wooden coffee table, noticing the embedded bullets and thinking this was going to be one hell of a clean up job. Edward dropped the half conscious man onto the couch in front of me, standing behind him with his hands on the man's shoulders to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

I reached out lightly slapped the man's face, watching as his eyes slowly focused on me. "What's your name?"

He coughed and shifted, wincing when Edward put enough weight on his shoulders to stop his movement. The man fixed me with a weak glare before I reached out and backhanded him, knocking his head to the side. And I didn't even hit him _that_ hard. "I don't like repeating myself but since you're new to the rules, I'll make an exception, just this once." I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and caught his gaze, giving him my best intimidating bodyguard look. His eyes widened. "What is your name?"

He swallowed hard and looked back at Edward over his shoulder who, in return, gave him a death glare. That was the reason I was the one doing the interrogation. "Chad."

I tilted my head to the side and felt a small smile tug at my lips. I could feel the smile wasn't pleasant. "Chad what?"

Chad's eyes darted around the room, taking in the half dozen dead bodies riddled with bullet holes. Blood was splattered along two of the four walls and the kitchen table was covered, thanks to the dead man laying on top. When his eyes landed back on me they were a little wide. I looked at him expectantly. "Chad Underhill."

"Chad Underhill." I said the name as if I were testing it, rolling it around my tongue. After a second I clapped my hands together, resisting the urge to smile when Chad jumped at the sudden sound. "Well, Chad, here's what's going to happen. I am going to ask you a few very simple questions." My tone was patronizing. "You are going to answer them with the complete truth. If you leave anything out or lie to me, I'm going to leave you with my friend here." I gestured to Edward, whose fingers curled into Chad's collar bones, pulling up and causing enough pain to get the point across. "He's a little unstable right now and he's none too happy with your boss. You fail to answer me in a way I like and he might just end up taking his displeasure out on you."

I watched as Chad's eyes widened further before slowly closing. When he opened them again, he'd gotten himself somewhat under control. I hadn't really expected to be able to frighten one of Sully's crew so easily but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If we were lucky, we had managed to pick a new guy.

"Alright, Chad. Who's your immediate boss?"

His eyes darted around the room again, taking a few seconds to answer. Not wanting him to get the impression I was a patient person, I nodded at Edward who leaned forward and grabbed one of our captives' arms, twisting it behind his back before the poor guy even had a chance to react, much less stop it. I got to hand it to him, though. He didn't cry out when Edward put enough pressure on his shoulder that a breath more would dislocate it.

"I'm waiting, Chad."

Chad closed his eyes again, his body stiff with extreme discomfort - okay, pain - that Edward was causing to his shoulder. He breathed slow and deep through his nose and earned a few more brownie points from me, despite being a bad guy. He may have been a new guy but he was definitely one that would have stuck around. If we didn't end up killing him, that is.

Finally, Chad's eyes opened and he fixed me with a stare that said he was trying to focus on anything other than his shoulder. Having taught Edward that particular move and volunteered to be a training guinea pig, I knew how much it hurt. "Brian Thomas."

I nodded once in acceptance of his answer before continuing with my questioning. "Where is this Brian?"

Chad gestured towards the dining room with a nod of his head and I turned to look. The guy Edward had shot earlier that was now laying across the table seemed to be the one Chad was indicating. I sighed and turned back to look up at Edward, giving him a slightly annoyed look. "Dude."

Edward just shrugged, looking only mildly sheepish before dropping my gaze to focus on keeping hold of his charge. I shook my head and looked back at Chad. "Okay. Who's above Brian?"

"Croft." Hey, I didn't have to wait for an answer this time. Progress. Of course, getting this particular name was a mixed blessing.

I looked up at Edward again and knew he recognized the name as well. Paul Crofton, Croft to anyone who didn't want to end up with a spike through their head, was one of Sully's three closest lieutenants. If he was Brian Thomas' next in command then we'd hit pay dirt in taking out this little group first. Of course, this also meant we'd have to deal with Croft _before _we got to Sully, instead of after. Croft did most of Sully's dirty work and was damn good so we were going to have to be extremely careful from here on out.

"Any idea where we can find Croft?"

Chad's eyes widened again but only briefly. Still, it was enough to tell me he was about to lie to me. "No idea, man, I swear."

I sighed but the sound was drowned out by Chad's cry as, with a single twist of the arm in his grasp, Edward dislocated both Chad's shoulder and elbow. He pressed the useless limb against the back of the whimpering man in front of me, adding additional pressure to an already overly painful position.

"Wrong answer, Chad. Care to try again?"

It took dislocating the other shoulder and breaking a few fingers before I was satisfied I'd gotten a truthful answer out of him. When Edward finally let him go, he collapsed into a writhing, crying mass on the couch. I stood and pulled my pistol from its thigh holster, putting the man out of his misery with a single bullet, effectively silencing his cries and any chance he had to spread word that we were on the hunt.

**James POV**

She really was beautiful, in an average, girl-next-door kind of way. Definitely not the type Edward used to go for but if I was honest with myself, I knew Edward was a different man than the teenager I'd conned into working for me. His tastes had matured along with the rest of him and this girl was a testament to that as sure as his new lifestyle was.

Of course, being the sick fuck I knew I was - and that I thoroughly enjoyed being - I found the fact she was tied up, drugged and completely at my mercy a most appealing thought. Too bad I couldn't have her; I would love nothing more than to bend her sweet ass over the cot against the back wall and show her a true fucking. Sully, however, didn't like to share and I quite liked my head in one piece and still attached to my body.

I was sitting on the very cot I imagined bending her over when I heard a soft moan come from her direction. I stood, slowly making my way over to her. Her head turned in my direction but her movements were sluggish. She may have fought free of the unconsciousness but the drug was still in her system, making it an even more appealing thought to have my way with her.

I knelt down in front of her and hooked my fingers underneath the blindfold covering her eyes, pulling it off without caring if I took some of her hair with it. She wouldn't feel it anyway. She blinked those innocent brown eyes at me, confusion clear as she fought to recognize me. I knew the moment she did because the confusion changed to fear and my name fell from her lips. I felt my dick twitch at the sound and smiled at her.

Her eyes unfocused and she muttered Edward's name, drawing a chuckle from me. I reached out and cupped her cheek, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin beneath my fingers. God, everything about her was perfect in its innocence and beauty. It was a shame Sully was going to destroy her most attractive feature before he disposed of her.

"Edward can't help you now, Bella. You belong to Sully and when your boyfriend tries to save you, he'll belong to me." And he'll die a lot sooner than you will, my love. But I didn't tell her that. No need to scare her too much, just yet. I was so close to putting my final plan into motion I could taste it. Edward would go down for my ratting on Sully and I would take Sully's place when he was gone, either behind bars or six feet under. Sadly, Bella would be dead before then. I'd so love to keep her around.

Bella tried to pull her legs up towards her chest but her body just wasn't ready for any major moving yet and she barely managed to bend her knees. I dropped my hands to her knees, pushing them back to the floor before sliding my hands up to her thighs, letting them rest there.

"Your motor functions will come back in a little while. The drug still hasn't worn off." I let my eyes wander over her slight form, wishing again that I could taste her, just once. "By the time Sully gets here, though, you'll be fine." It would probably be a mercy to drug her again and hand her over unconscious but Sully had asked for her to be lucid when he arrived.

Bella whimpered and I laughed to disguise the moan that wanted to escape from my throat. I could imagine her whimpering while I was inside her, showing her what a real man was. Yeah, I know, I was sick and twisted. And quite proud of that fact.

I stood and walked back to the cot I'd been sitting on earlier, dropping the unnecessary blindfold onto the cheap mattress. "You know, I almost feel sorry for you," I said conversationally. "Sully isn't known for being gentle with his playthings. I seem to remember the last girl he had was found in a park with pieces missing." And the girl before that had been dumped in a trash compactor just as she was coming to from her latest beating. That one made even me shudder. Being crushed while fully conscious was not how I wanted to go out.

I returned to where she was sitting, her back against one of the half dozen support beams in the very large basement, and sit down in front of her, just out of reach of her outstretched legs. Wouldn't want her to kick me when she regained control of her body. I noticed she was trembling and took a sick pleasure in the knowledge, though if I were in her position I'd probably be trembling, too.

"So," I said, continuing as if I didn't feel sorry for her. Or want to fuck her blind. "I figure since this is the last time you'll be able to talk for a while, we might as well get to know each other."

She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the beam behind her, shifting as she tried to relieve the pressure on her shoulders. I'd tied her up pretty tight. When she opened her eyes, they showed no signs of the fear her trembling body was displaying. "I don't want to get to know you."

I chuckled and scooted forward; putting my legs on either side of her body over her own legs so she couldn't kick me. I was inches from her body as I brought my hand up to her cheek, my eyes taking in every detail of her face, lingering over her soft lips, wondering what they felt like. "Bella, my sweet, don't make me beg." My tone held a hint of mockery but mostly it was false pleading.

Bella turned her head away from my hand but she couldn't move fast or go far. She tried to hide behind her hair but I pushed it back over her shoulder, trailing my fingers down the line of her neck. Her jaw clenched and her eyes squeezed shut. "Why are you doing this?"

I smiled and leaned in, running my lips across her cheek then following my fingers down to her throat. I spoke with my lips against her neck, caressing the delicate flesh there with each word. "Orders, my sweet. Sully took a personal interest in you. It's a shame Edward couldn't leave you alone. You could have flown under the radar if he had." Sully's whole interest in Bella had been because he wanted to see what could hold the attention of one such as Edward. Even I kind of wished Edward had left this girl alone. But that was mostly me being selfish rather than me feeling pity for her.

She turned back to look at me, dislodging me from her throat and forcing me to back up an inch so I could focus on her face. "Why do you want Edward so badly?"

I grinned at her, holding her face between both of my hands as I leaned in again, brushing my lips over hers, tightening my hold when she tried to pull away. "That," I said as I bit down lightly on her bottom lip, causing her to jerk even though she couldn't move away, "is none of your business."

She licked her lips before pressing them together in a tight line, effectively stopping my one-sided kisses for the moment. "It is my business if I'm the bait to bring him to you." I chuckled and took full advantage of her having to open her mouth to speak, catching her with an open mouthed kiss. She cried out and I swallowed the sound. When she bit down on my tongue invading her mouth I just pulled away, laughing even as I tasted my own blood and remembering our first kiss, when she bit down so violently on my lip..

"Ah, Bella, how I wish Sully didn't want you so badly."

"Too bad you don't always get what you wish for, James." The voice behind me startled me but I managed to cover my jump as I turned to glance over my shoulder. Sully stood at the bottom of the stairs leading out of the basement; his arms crossed over his chest. I suppressed a sigh and turned back to Bella, giving her a slightly apologetic smile as I stood, stepping away from her and going over to where Sully was standing. "Sully, you're early."

Sully arched a dark brow before walking past me, moving to stand in front of Bella. "Is this Edward's little toy?"

I came up to stand behind and just to the right of him. Bella's eyes darted between us briefly before settling on Sully. Her eyes were wide and she was pushing her feet against the floor as though she could move through the beam at her back and escape the gaze directed at her. She was smart enough to know an evil man when she saw one, at least.

"Yeah. This is Bella." I barely managed to hide the irritation I felt; having it come out in my voice where Sully was sure to notice was the quickest way to end up on the wrong end of a beating.

Sully crouched down in front of Bella and reached out, brushing his fingers across her cheek. She jerked away from his touch and in a rash moment of bravado - which I personally thought was the hottest thing I'd seen from her - she spit right in his face. While I took immense enjoyment from this scene, it was far from the smartest thing she'd ever done.

My boss immediately backhanded her so hard that she fell over; she wasn't tied _to _the beam behind her, she was just leaning against it. Lying on her side, her hair covering her face, hands tied tight behind her back, she looked like the perfect offering and I found myself wishing I had a weapon on me. Killing Sully now would save me a lot of grief. Too bad the bodyguards upstairs had done a thorough search when I first came in.

Sully wiped his face on his coat sleeve before reaching out and grabbing Bella roughly by one tied wrist, hauling her back up and dragging a cry of pain from her throat. He wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling it back off her face and yanking her head back so he could see her face clearly.

"If you ever do that again," he growled. "I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to you." Bella was trembling again, her survival instincts telling her he meant every word. She nodded as best as she could with the hold he had on her hair and he released her, throwing her head away from his grip hard enough that she fell back against the cement floor.

Sully stood and turned to face me, barely contained rage distorting his features. Bella was going to pay for her little transgression and I was very glad I wasn't in her shoes. "Blindfold her and take her out to the car. Make sure she stays restrained." He pushed past me and went back upstairs.

I sighed and retrieved the blindfold before kneeling down in front of Bella, getting a grip on both her shoulders and pulling her off the ground a lot more gently than Sully had done. She was sporting a nice big red mark that was already starting to bruise on her cheek and tear tracks were drying on her face but she didn't make a sound as I pulled her to her feet, pulling the blindfold down over her eyes. The drug hadn't entirely worn off so the first few steps were a little awkward but she managed well enough.

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said, matter-of-factly. "Pissing him off wasn't the smartest move you've ever made."

She huffed out a breath as we climbed the stairs but otherwise made no sound or acknowledgement that I'd even spoken to her. At least she wasn't begging me to let her go; she was smarter than I'd given her credit for.

At the top of the stairs were two bulky bodyguards with machine guns held at the ready. They escorted us to the far end of what had once been someone's living room but had long since been abandoned and gutted. The garage was still intact and attached to the house, though, and that was where we were headed.

With a little help from Sully's driver, I managed to get Bella into the backseat of the small limo without hurting her much more than was necessary. I figured she was about to experience enough pain, I really didn't need to add to it. I climbed in behind her, taking the seat across from Sully while Bella sat next to him, though with the blindfold in place she didn't know that.

"How long has she been in your possession?" Sully asked once we were on the road and heading towards the highway.

I glanced down at my watch and did a few quick calculations. "Almost six hours."

Sully looked over at his newest prize and reached out, brushing her hair back from her face and causing her to jerk away from him. She scooted away until she was pressed against the opposite side of the car, as far away from him as she could get. The smile that crossed Sully's face made even my blood freeze, she had no idea how much he loved the resistance, the fight.

"I think it's time to eliminate your witness, then. She's has enough time to report back to Edward with what she saw." Sully's expression was as chilling as his voice. Bella's face took on a panicked expression and she turned her head towards Sully.

"Please don't. She didn't do anything, just leave her alone." Her voice was whisper soft and full of the tears that were starting to soak into her blindfold.

Sully laughed and with a swift blow to her temple, knocked Bella out cold. She slumped against the corner she'd wedged herself into, her protest stopping mid-whimper. With an irritated sigh, Sully pulled her back across the seat and laid her across the leather, pillowing her head in his lap, his arm resting on her stomach..

"Now, James. About that witness."

**Edward POV**

"We're wasting time, damn it!" I lashed out, kicking the unconscious man on the floor in front of me.

"Relax, Edward." Emmett's calm voice came from behind me where he was leaning against the wall with Caleb on the phone, trying to track down Sully's known associates since tracking Croft was getting us nowhere.

I turned around in time to see Emmett closing his phone and returning it to his pocket. "Relax? How the _hell _am I supposed to relax knowing James has Bella?" I knew it was irrational to yell at Emmett; he didn't know any more than I did. That didn't stop me from venting my frustrations at him.

Emmett sighed and pushed off the wall just as a groan from behind me caught my attention. I turned and walked over to the man on the floor, yanking him up and slamming him back down on the coffee table, breaking the glass center though the wood frame held steady.

"Where's Sully?" I didn't even know if the guy was coherent enough to even hear me, much less answer my question.

He blinked a couple of times to bring me into focus before his eyes narrowed, his hands coming up to grip mine, trying to uncurl my fingers from his shirt. Yeah, good luck with that.

"Fuck you."

I picked him up again and turned, slamming him into the wall hard enough to knock off a nearby picture frame. I didn't even notice the sound of breaking glass when it hit the floor.

"One more time, asshole. Where's Sully?"

He sneered and I slammed him against the wall again, this time leaving a dent the shape of his head. He winced but was still glaring at me when he opened his eyes.

"Fuck. You." He spoke slowly, clipping each word off in his own anger. Guess I might be kind of defensive if I were being slammed against a wall, too.

"Look you little-" I started but was cut off by Emmett's hand on my shoulder. I clenched my jaw and shoved away from the guy, letting Emmett have him even though I wanted nothing more than to beat the guy to a bloody pulp.

Emmett took my place in front of the guy, smoothing down the severely wrinkled shirt, courtesy of my tight grip. "Come on, buddy. Help us out here." The guy tried to get a punch in but my cousin was too fast, knocking his fist aside and landing a hard blow to the center of his face. Instant broken nose.

I stood behind Emmett with my arms crossed over my chest, each hand resting on the guns under my arms, and watched as the guy doubled over, his hands going to his face.

"You broke my fucking nose!"

Emmett rolled his eyes and spoke in a _we know that, already - and we don't care _tone. "Yeah, yeah." He grabbed the guy by the back of the neck and forced him straight. "Where's Sully?"

He spit a mouthful of blood straight in Emmett's face. I gotta admit, this guy had some serious balls. Emmett sighed in annoyance and false regret before using his grip on the back of the guys' neck to slam his face back down while bringing his knee up to meet the already broken nose. The force of the blow set the guy straight up again, his head back against the wall as he tried to stop the pain in his face.

"I don't know where Sully is, damn it!" Finally, we were getting somewhere. Not anywhere productive but at least we were getting answers.

"Alright, then. Where's Croft?" Even through the blood I saw the guy's eyes widen briefly before he got his expression under control. I took a step forward but Emmett held up a hand, stopping me. He'd seen it, too.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Emmett sounded almost giddy. This was a side of him I hadn't seen in years. "Where's Croft?"

The guy just shook his head frantically. Emmett sighed and shook his head before grabbing the guy by his shirt again and lifting him up, turning until his head was level with and mere centimeters from the ceiling fan. Without having to be told I walked over to the switch on the wall and flipped it on, making sure it was on its highest setting before returning to my previous post. There is something to be said about industrial fans.

"Last chance before I get more creative than a fan." There wasn't a trace of amusement or any other emotion left in Emmett's voice. Now we knew there was information to be gathered, he was deadly serious.

Our newest captive swallowed hard. "He'll kill me, man."

I stepped forward and looked up at him, relaxing my clenched jaw enough so I could speak. The time for threats was over. "You are going to die either way but if you tell us what you know, we'll kill you now, quick and clean. You keep silent and we'll leave you for Croft to find and let him think you told us everything." Croft, like Sully, didn't need proof to eliminate someone he'd thought betrayed him. If we let this guy live and Croft got a hold of him, he'd wish for death long before it came. We were offering him paradise in the face of that.

He was silent for a few long seconds before Emmett spoke to me. "Grab the cuffs, Edward. We need to make sure he won't go anywhere before Croft gets here." We didn't actually have any cuffs but this little ploy was called a bluff. I started to move towards the front door to get the 'cuffs' when the guy started talking.

"Okay, okay. Look, I'll tell you what you want but you have to promise to kill me now. Don't let Croft get me."

Emmett put the guy on the ground before knocking his legs out from under him, sending him to his knees. I stood behind the guy and pulled my pistol, pointing it at the back of his head. This was insurance to make sure he didn't try any last minute attacks before Emmett finished questioning him.

"Alright, start talking." Emmett knelt down in front of the guy, though he stayed out of arms reach.

All the fight seemed to have gone out of the guy. He told us where Croft was hiding and who would know if and where he would move if he got spooked or thought someone was after him. He stopped talking after a while and I figured we'd gotten everything we were going to get out of him but he surprised me with his next comment.

"I take it you guys are looking for the girl Sully took." His voice was tired and slightly hoarse but it still stopped my heart in my chest.

"What girl?" I asked, fighting to keep the panic out of my voice.

"The one he's been obsessed over the last few weeks. Petite, brunette, real pretty." He coughed into his hand and I noticed a bit of blood when he put his hand down. He didn't have much longer, whether we killed him or not. "He sent that two-timing asshole James after her."

I felt my eyes go wide and the blood drain from my face as I looked up and met Emmett's gaze. So it was Sully who wanted Bella, not James. That just made the whole situation ten times worse. We'd been looking for Sully because he was the only lead we were getting - if he was hiding James, odds were good that he was keeping the 'two-timing asshole' close at hand. So find one, you find the other. Now finding James had taken a backseat to finding where Sully would hide someone.

"Where's he keeping her?" I asked, grateful my voice was steady, calm even.

The guy shrugged then hissed in pain, halting the movement abruptly. "I don't know. Croft will, though."

Emmett searched the guy's face to make sure he wasn't hiding anything else before he stood. We both tensed when our captive stood, a little stiffly, my gun arm steadying instantly. He turned around to face me, his jaw clenched and his eyes were hard with determination.

"I won't beg for mercy but I'm sure as hell not going to die on my knees." Gone was the broken man who'd spilled his guts to us and in his place was a man who knew his fate and would meet it with every ounce of dignity he could muster. I admired him for that.

As the barrel of my gun pressed to his forehead, I met his gaze and held it, suddenly transfixed. I was suddenly tossed back half a decade to the worst years of my life. I'd had a gun pressed to my head more times than I could count but I had never faced death with the dignity this boy - now that I took the time to really look, he couldn't have been more than twenty - was.

I tore my gaze from his and took a step back, dropping my gun to point at the floor. "How old are you?" My voice was unsteady, memories and emotions threatening to drown me.

The guy, kid, pulled himself straighter, his face tightening with the pain of what was probably a few broken ribs. "Eighteen."

I let out the air in my lungs in a rush, turning my back on him and walking a few feet away. I couldn't kill this kid, even if it was a mercy killing. Even to find Bella. I wasn't that person anymore and I had never enjoyed when I was. "Em, we need to get him to a hospital. Call Caleb, get him some papers." A hospital and a new identity was the only thing I could in good conscious offer this kid.

I turned back around to find Emmett already on his phone and the terrified green eyes of the kid I used to be staring back at me. "You promised. I told you what you wanted; you promised you'd kill me before Croft could."

I closed the distance between us and put my hand against the kids' ribs, pressing lightly though even that soft touch earned a wince and a forcefully suppressed hiss from him. "You've got broken ribs and I can almost guarantee that you've punctured a lung. At least. You might die before you get to the hospital. But if you survive, my contacts in Chicago will have a new identity - a new life for you." I met his tortured eyes with my own and in that moment, I saw he understood. He knew I had been there and survived and he could too.

Emmett came up and I turned to look at him. He put a hand on my shoulder before turning to look at the kid I was trying to help. "What's your name, kid?" He didn't even blink at the sudden turn around from Emmett and me doing our best to beat a few bits of information out of him to trying to save his life. Once you'd been in the lifestyle long enough, you learned loyalties and friendships could form and be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

"Edward," the kid said before coughing again. I didn't see if his hand came away bloody again; I turned away so my pained, shocked expression wasn't visible. I could feel Emmett's eyes on my back before he turned his attention back to our temporary charge and gave him the details he would need to survive until Caleb could find him.

Staring out the window at the darkened street outside I couldn't help but feel like some higher power was trying to tell me something. I'd never been religious, especially not after my brother died. The way I'd seen it, what kind of God would let someone like Marcus, who was a good man despite his ways of making money, die needlessly and then let someone like James escape even the most basic of punishments for his crimes. But now, standing in a house destroyed by bullets and littered with bodies, I started thinking maybe someone was looking out for me. And I got the feeling I had just been given a second chance to set things right.

I turned back to the kid, Edward, who reminded me so much of myself at his age, and knew that everything would work out. I would get Bella back and those responsible would be brought to justice. I still didn't know if I believed in any kind of god but I was starting to believe in something. And right now, I believed that in saving this kid, I was saving myself, too.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, this one is a bit shorter then the other chapters but I promise, the quality of this chapter far outweighs its lack of length. Sadly, chapter fifteen is not yet finished but it should be shortly. And seeing as how I'm posting chapters here on the heels of chapters getting validated on Twilighted (and the Twilighted betas are swamped so that takes a while), by the time this chapter shows up on Twilighted, fifteen should be finished and ready for ya'll to enjoy. So, for now, enjoy the smexiness that is our badass duo and the bad guys we love to hate. :)**

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Bella POV

James and Sully's conversation had dropped to a whisper below my hearing capabilities; especially with my heart pounding in my ears. My panic was leaving me short of breath and I couldn't stop thinking about Alice. Sully wanted loose ends tied up and Alice was the only other person who knew first hand what had happened. Of course, by now she'd undoubtedly told Edward and everyone else so there were four more loose ends. The thought alone was enough to send me into another panic attack.

"If you don't slow your breathing, you're going to pass out." Sully's voice, no longer whispering in conversation with James, shocked me back to my imminent reality.

I jerked my head in the direction of his voice, using the sound as a focus - albeit a bad one - to distract myself from my panic over my friends being killed. "What do you want from me?" My voice was breathy, sounding as if I'd run a mile. Then again, my heart felt like I had, too.

I heard the sound of movement over leather seats and then the seat closest to me sunk under the weight of a full grown man. An arm dropped across my shoulders and I jumped, trying to get away from the touch but I had already backed myself into a corner; there was no where else for me to go except forward and I didn't think being on the floor would help my situation any.

"The only thing I want from you is to hear your pretty voice screaming my name.," Sully said, his voice deceptively soft and gentle. I felt his fingers brush across my cheek and I turned my face away.

A shudder ripped through my body before I could stop it and I made the decision being on the floor was better than having this creep's hands all over me. I slid off the seat quickly, not caring if I offended him or hurt myself in the process. I needed to put space between me and him. I scooted away from the sound of Sully's laughter until I was stopped by another of the limo's seats.

"Ah, Bella. I can taste your fear on my tongue." I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart and keep my limbs from trembling. Sully's satisfied, evil laughter was not helping.

"I'm not scared of you." I couldn't believe those words had just left my mouth. How fucking stupid was that; was my mouth no longer connected to my brain? Rule one when dealing with psychotic people: Never tell them you're not scared, 'cause then they'll make you scared. At least, that was my new rule one. Before it might have been_ avoid psychotic people at all costs. _

The blindfold was suddenly ripped off my face, taking a chunk of hair with it and drawing a surprised yelp from me. Sully was kneeling down in front of me on the floor of the limo, his dark eyes promising to make me regret my words. Too late, I already did.

"I would recommend watching your tongue, young Bella, before you lose it." His voice sounded like sharp gravel and made my ears hurt just listening to it. Sully's fingers closed around my jaw, squeezing until I thought it might snap and tears were forming in my eyes. When I closed my eyes, he shook my head until I opened them, keeping my head still afterwards so I couldn't look away. His eyes roamed over my face as though he were contemplating a painting he wanted to buy and when they finally returned to mine, he had a small smile on his face. "You're new to my ways, so I'll let you slide just this once." Those dark eyes hardened and the smile disappeared and my blood ran cold. "But know this, Bella. I do not tolerate insolence from my possessions. You will not be the exception."

He threw my head away so hard I thought my neck snapped. I let my cheek rest against the seat as I closed my eyes, stretching my jaw to make sure it still worked, before shifting a little so I wasn't sitting on my hands. I opened my eyes to see James' sympathetic face looking down at me. I didn't understand the sympathy; after all, he was the reason I was here to begin with. Did he regret what he'd done? No, I doubted that. He didn't strike me as the regretful type. Or the caring type, for that matter, and you had to care to regret.

I watched as Sully handed my blindfold back to James who proceeded to pull it down over my eyes, effectively blinding me again. I sighed and clenched my fists behind me, taking a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds before letting it go. Without any kind of outside stimulation, my mind was trying to revert back to panic over the thought of my friends being in danger because of me. If I had just been firm in telling Alice we should have stayed home, I wouldn't be here and they would all be safe.

Sometime during my focused breathing and desperate attempts to just not think, we arrived at our destination, wherever the hell that was. I heard the sound of a door opening just before a hand wrapping around my upper arm caused me to jump and yank away hard enough that I hit my head on the inside wall of the car. While I was busy trying to push back a sudden headache, the hand wrapped around my arm again and pulled me up, pushing me towards the door. A second set of hands had to catch me; otherwise I would have ended up face first on the pavement we were parked on.

I had only taken a few steps before the hand on my arm tightened its hold and I was pulled to a stop. I stumbled over my own feet briefly but managed to keep them flat on the ground for once. After a few seconds I was propelled forward again, tripping over a raised part of the ground. When I fell to my knees on hardwood instead of concrete, I assumed I'd tripped over a doorstep.

The hand on my arm didn't so much yank me back to my feet as keep up a persistent pulling until my feet were back under me. As soon as I was on my feet, James voice came from right beside me. I should have known it was him; Sully would have just dislocated my shoulder until I was on my feet again. "Where do you want her, Sully?"

Sully's answer came from a distance, as though he'd gone into a different room. "Tie her up downstairs."

I heard a soft whimper and it took me a second to realize it had come from me. The hand on my arm tightened again as I was urged forward. A second hand gripped my other arm and I was a little steadier on my feet. Good thing, too, seeing as we'd just reached a set of stairs I was sure to break my neck on. James must have figured that out as well because as soon as my ankle twisted on the third step, I was turned suddenly upside down. James' shoulder was digging into my stomach while his arm wrapped around my legs to keep me from sliding off.

Each step bounced me on James' shoulder and forced more blood into my head. At the same time, my stomach made it clear that I hadn't eaten in hours and it didn't appreciate the abuse. I figured talking to my stomach would be useless so I just tried to ignore the growling.

We made it to the bottom of the stairs without any more complaints from my body and I heard the sound of metal scraping against metal before a loud clanging reached my ears. Enough shows on TLC and the History channel made me think the clanging was a jail cell door being slid open.

A few more bounces - translated into a few more steps - and I was slung off James' shoulder so fast my head felt like it was hovering ten feet above my body. He cradled me in his arms before laying me down on a cold metal surface. His hands shifted my body until I was lying on my side and I felt the rope around my wrists removed. Before I even had time to enjoy the return of full circulation to my fingers, I was forced onto my back and my arms were pulled above my head and tied again. By the time I had registered I was even free, I was tied up again.

Seconds later I felt a hand around my ankle and when I tried to pull out of the grip, I was yanked down so hard my shoulders popped and the rope around my wrists tightened. I whimpered and tried to pull on the ropes, hoping to loosen them but only succeeding in cutting off my circulation entirely. I could barely feel my fingers when another set of fingers tugged at the ropes until they loosened.

"Don't pull on those. You won't like what happens." James' words were only mildly sarcastic and if I hadn't been scared out of my wits, I might have had a comeback. As it was, I just nodded and took a deep breath to fight back my tears.

The loud clanging I'd heard earlier echoed in my head again and then it was silent around me. I held my body still, straining for any signs of life but finding none. I tried to roll onto my side only to find that one ankle was restrained. A quick tug showed it was attached to the wall, thus preventing me from rolling onto my right side so I rolled onto my left. I brushed the wall with my knee when I tried to pull my free leg up to my chest. I was thoroughly restrained and unless some kind of miracle happened, I wasn't going to be getting out of this. A dejected sob escaped my clenched lips and echoed in the room, bouncing back to me. That one sob seemed to open the floodgates and it wasn't long before I couldn't breathe past the tears, couldn't swallow past the lump in my throat and couldn't hear past the sobs echoing back to me.

**James POV**

It took more willpower than I'm willing to admit to, to leave Bella alone like that. With her tied up and unable to fight off any advances, it would have been the perfect time to experience all Bella had to offer. I could have easily kept her quiet and Sully never would have known. But no, I liked my dick attached and if Sully had happened on us while I was busy then he would most assuredly remove my favorite body part, free of charge.

I sighed and hurried up the stairs before I could change my mind and turn around, shutting the door to the basement once I was through it. There, temptation removed.

I made my way through the kitchen and living room to the study, which was straight across the hall from the living room and almost as big. Sully's hideout didn't leave much to be desired but then again, he did like the finer things in life. I wondered how he'd manage when it was all ripped out from under him.

Sully was sitting behind his desk when I walked in, the phone against his ear and an annoyed expression on his face. I sighed to myself, hoping I wasn't about to get the brunt of his irritation simply because the irritant wasn't present.

"I don't care what happened. You've got two hours to take care of it." Sully's voice was tight and he didn't even try to hide the threat in his voice.

He settled the phone back in its cradle as I sat down in one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk, propping my boots up on the edge of the desk. "Problems?" I asked, keeping my voice light and hiding my amusement. He'd have a lot more problems soon enough.

Sully reached out and knocked my boots of the desk before settling back in his own chair, fingers laced over his lap. "Your witness has disappeared off the face of the planet, apparently."

I tilted my head to the side, frowning. "You think Edward is hiding her?"

He shrugged and looked out the dark window - the sun had set at some point while I'd been down in the basement. "I think Edward's already on your trail. But he's got friends who are more than capable of protecting someone. Temporarily, at least."

I sighed and slouched down in my chair. That meant I needed to move my plan along but to do that I was going to need Sully's help. This is where I was really going to have to watch my step; if he even suspected I was about to betray him, it was over.

"If he's already onto me then I need to get over to the warehouse and set things up." I made sure my voice was thoughtful, as though I were actually contemplating my next course of action.

Sully nodded and checked his watch before picking up his phone again. I tuned him out while he made his call, going over my plan in my head. It was far from fool proof but I was confident I could pull it off without Sully knowing anything until I was ready for him to know. It was more incentive to succeed, knowing what Sully would do to me if he caught me.

"Four men are waiting for your arrival at the warehouse." Sully's voice drew me from my thoughts and I stood. "Try not to get these killed. I won't be so forgiving this time." I suppressed a shudder and nodded, turning on my heel and making my exit as quick as I possibly could without looking like I was running away.

I took my own car instead of the one Sully offered; I needed to make a few stops he couldn't know about and having a driver would have made that difficult. Plus, I liked my Impala a lot better than Sully's limo.

It took me half an hour to finish my personal errands before I was on my way to the warehouse. I'd backtracked through town so it would take me at least an hour to get there, maybe more if traffic was bad. I had plenty of time to get the next step of my plan moving.

I pulled my cell phone out and dialed a familiar number straight from memory. A photographic memory works in my favor more often than not. The phone rang a half dozen times before it was picked up, the voice on the other end impatient and bordering on angry.

"Yeah?"

I smiled to myself as I accelerated under a yellow light before turning onto the highway. "Edward, my friend. I have something you want."

**Edward POV**

It was dark by the time we got to Croft's supposed hideout. The house was huge but looked rundown from the outside. Having been in James' inner circle, and having done more than a few deals with Sully's higher ups, I knew it was all a façade. If this house was really a hideout for Sully or any of his trusted men, it would contain every security feature Sully could get his hands on and would be more than luxurious on the inside.

Emmett and I quickly discovered that, while fast and perfect for tailing someone at high speeds, my Volvo was not meant to be used in a stakeout. For one thing, it stood out in the neighborhood we were in and another, less important reason, the firm leather seats were making my ass numb and back hurt. The neighborhood had long since fallen into disrepair and one of us had to be on the lookout at all times to make sure no one tried to approach the car.

The house we were watching looked as deserted as it did run down. There were no lights on in the house but the kid we'd shuttled off to the hospital had said it was an illusion. All the safe houses had it - heavily tinted glass that made it look simply as though curtains were pulled inside. How they managed that one, I had no idea but that kid, Edward, had said something about Sully having some super genius on his payroll. I'm sure if I were a super genius, I could figure out a way to make the windows do a little tap dance so I didn't put much stock in the fact I couldn't figure something out.

After an hour of no activity, I was getting restless. I'd never been good at stakeouts - my patience was short to begin with. Added to the stress of the situation and the desire to strangle James and Sully with my bare hands and I was in for a rough time.

When I'd shifted in my seat for maybe the hundredth time, Emmett let out a low growl of irritation. "If you keep squirming, you're going to end up with a hole worn into your seat." His voice was as low as his growl, though it seemed loud in the quiet car.

I sighed and settled back in the seat, my eyes glued to the dark house. "I get the strange suspicion we're wasting our time."

I saw Emmett turn his head toward me out of the corner of my eye. "You think that kid lied to us?"

I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, something else I'd been doing to try and ease my impatience. "No. I just don't think we're going to get anywhere with Croft."

Our soft conversation was interrupted by my phone, the vibration of _silent _mode not as silent as it should be. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and looked at the number, frowning at the familiar area code but unfamiliar number. Still, I kept in touch with a few people in the Chicago area that could be calling me.

I let it ring a few times while I debated whether it would be smart to answer it now or not. I could always wait and call whoever it was back later. Emmett rolled his eyes over to me. "Just answer the damn thing. We're not doing anything out here anyway." He had a point, albeit one that irritated the hell out of me.

I flipped the phone open and put it to my ear. "Yeah?" Even I could hear the impatience in my voice. _Way to keep it calm, Edward._

"Edward, my friend." My whole body froze at the voice on the other end. "I have something you want."

"Where is she?" Screw impatience - barely contained anger was coursing through me now. I wanted this asshole's head on a platter.

Emmett's head jerked over to me, though whether my words or my tone had drawn his attention I didn't know, and frankly, I didn't care. My heart was pounding in my chest, my body trembling with the sudden rage pulsing through my body. A creak from the phone at my ear warned me that I needed to get a hold of myself before I broke something that didn't need to broken. I needed to save that entertainment for James' neck.

"Oh she's safe." The laughter in his voice made me want to scream. "For now." I felt the growl crawl up my throat as he sighed, false sympathy in his voice. "Of course, Sully's had her for a couple of hours now. He's probably getting impatient to play with his new toy."

"You bastard!" I slammed my hand on the dashboard so hard I felt it in my chest. "Where the fuck is she?" I felt angry tears in my eyes but forced them back. They wouldn't do me any good except as an outlet for the anger I fully intended to bottle up and release on this scumbag of a man. He was going to regret ever having fucked with me.

"Come to the warehouse district outside of Port Angeles. Building nine. If you're lucky, you can save her before he does any permanent damage." Before I could talk past the sudden terror clogging my throat, the bastard hung up. I sat there, fuming, for a whole thirty seconds before I threw my phone so hard against the windshield that it shattered the phone and put a crack in the glass.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" I screamed, slamming my hands, feet, elbows, whatever I could against the dash, the door, the seat.

Emmett waited patiently while I vented out enough of my anger - blood boiling rage - for me to be able to think clearly again. By the time I was calm enough to speak, the car was started and in gear, waiting for me to give him directions. A few more deep breaths and I repeated my conversation.

"We're half an hour out. I'd suggest using that time to calm down or else you're going to go in there and get yourself killed." Emmett's reasonable, calm voice was slowly helping me calm down. If he'd have been sympathetic or even angry, it would have just fueled me on. He knew that and he knew he had to be calm one, the voice of reason. It helped us both out in the long run.

"Let me borrow your phone," I grumbled, leaning over to pick up the bigger pieces of what used to be a fully functional cell phone. I heard a noise that sounded like something between a belch and choking come from Emmett and looked up to see him trying really hard not to laugh. My eyes narrowed and I snatched the cell phone he was holding out to me, muttering, "Laugh it up, monkey man."

This time the sound I heard was definitely choking and, though the car was dark, I thought I caught a full blown blush on his cheeks under the light of a passing street lamp. "She wouldn't."

I felt a smile curl my lips as I put the phone to my ear. "She didn't. But now I know she does." I hadn't actually thought Rosalie called Emmett monkey man but hell, now that I knew she did, the teasing would never end.

The phone hadn't even rang twice before it was picked up. "Hey, Em."

I cleared my throat to force back my grim amusement at Emmett's sputtering and flushed face. "Jasper, it's Edward. We got a call from James." Any amusement was gone from my voice as I repeated my conversation. I filled him in on everything we knew, from Croft's location to our newest information about where we thought Bella was. I figured it would be good for someone who wasn't going with us to know what was going on.

"I think your friend Sully knows about us staying behind." Jasper's words took a moment to penetrate but when they did, it was a toss up on whether anger or fear was the more prominent emotion.

"What happened?" Facts first, emotion later. Yeah, maybe that would actually work this time.

I heard him sigh and then there was silence for a few seconds. "There were a few people sneaking around the house a couple hours ago. I moved us into a hotel for the time being."

I was nodding my head even though he couldn't see it, running my hand over my face as if I could wipe the stress from my body. "Okay. I don't want to know where you are but just stay there until we call you."

I hung up a few minutes later feeling like the weight on my shoulders had doubled in size. I had been stupid to assume they would be safe in my house when I wasn't around. Alice had been a witness to Bella's kidnapping; that put Alice and everyone she could have told in danger. And knowing Sully was behind this whole thing, the danger factor was increased tenfold.

Wait a minute. Sully wasn't stupid and, despite my personal opinion, neither was James. Why would James have let Alice go at the scene? She was already unconscious; it would have been all too easy to kill her or take her with Bella. So why did they leave her? They had to know she would run to me.

"Oh, fuck." I felt my eyes widen and wanted to kick myself for not figuring it out sooner. Especially since 'it' had just become painfully obvious. "It's a trap."

Emmett turned his head to look at me briefly before having to focus back on the road. "What?"

I shifted in my seat. "Why would Sully keep Bella in an abandoned warehouse? He's got a hundred hideouts between here and Chicago and I'm willing to bet not a single one of them is a warehouse, abandoned or otherwise."

Emmett's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he turned onto the highway. "Sully always did like the finer things in life. I could see Croft hiding someone in a warehouse but not Sully." From the tone of his voice, he'd just figured out what we both should have realized hours ago.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! I did not mean to take this long getting a new chapter out to you guys. Honest, it wasn't intentional. But here it is. It's short but pivotal and I like where I ended it. Chapter sixteen is in the works already and will hopefully not take so long getting out to you guys.**

**A/N2: Okay, I feel I need to address something that has a lot of you concerned. THIS IS NOT A RAPE STORY. Bella will not be raped by Sully or anyone else. Sully will give it the old college try once or twice and scare the fuck out of our girl but there will be NO RAPE!!!! Hopefully that alleviates all the concern. :):):)**

**Last thing: I made a myspace for all my writing. It'll include chapter teasers, possibly an update schedule, story playlists, any pictures associated with the stories, music and story recommendations and whatever other little fandom tidbits I can think of. It's public so you don't have to have a myspace to come visit and comment. So come check it out! And while your at it, check out the Twilighted forum for this story at www (dot) twilighted (dot) net / forum / viewtopic (doc) php ? f = 44 & t = 1105**

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**Edward POV**

The warehouse district itself was dimly lit by seemingly random streetlights that which did nothing but give individual pools of yellow light directly underneath while creating deeper shadows everywhere else. Occasionally, you could see the glint of that nearly useless light off the fence surrounding the district. The fence was meant to keep squatters and hooligans out but it wasn't doing much good with the main gate wide open.

Emmett stopped just outside of the gate and looked at me, a the question in his eyes and his posture that I didn't need light to decipher.

"We're as ready as we're gonna be, Em." I answered the silent question and he nodded, accepting my comment without question before easing the car through the gate. We both knew this was a trap but it was our only lead. If we could survive this, maybe we'd learn some big piece of information that would make it all worth it in the end.

Building nine was along the back fence behind six rows of identical buildings. Well hidden from any prying eyes and completely invisible from the non-existent traffic on the road out front. We parked by the side entrance and turned the car off, straining our ears to hear something - anything - in the still night. I hadn't seen another car at any point on our short drive through the district but I didn't doubt for a minute that someone was already here, waiting for us.

We checked all our guns and the remainder of our ammo; so long as the entire Coast Guard wasn't holed up in that warehouse, we should be good. With a last, deep breath, I pushed my door open and lifted myself out of the car. I quietly shut my door and heard Emmett do the same from the driver's side. Show time.

The door we'd parked in front of had been propped open by an engaged deadbolt; a simple yet effective means of making my heart beat faster. I felt Emmett come up beside me and I drew my pistol, pointing it directly at the door as he took a step forward. He reached out and shoved the door open with one hand, his own gun clutched in the other, keeping out of my line of fire just in case there was someone waiting behind it. There wasn't, but I didn't take the time to feel any relief. I hurried through the door and into a dark hall;, Emmett covering my back and making sure the door was actually shut and locked behind us. No need to invite surprise visitors.

There was a broken window high up one wall that let in just enough residual light that I could see the hallway we were in was short with a closed door at the end. I kept my pistol trained on the door as I approached, wrapping one hand around the knob and turning, taking a step back and returning my hand back to the grip. The other side of the door was pitch black and even the little bit of light in the hallway couldn't penetrate. This must be the main part of the building.

Emmett came up behind me and a little to the side, his body turned so he could watch the door I'd just opened but still be able to quickly look back the way we'd come. "Your call, man."

I clenched my jaw and, with a sidelong glance at my cousin, took the two steps that which put me right across the threshold and into the pitch black room. The air was cooler here, indicating that the room was indeed larger thean the hallway we'd just been in. I strained my ears, listening for sounds in the darkness since my eyes were currently useless. The only thing I heard was the rustling of clothes as Emmett came up against my back, his hand brushing lightly against my shoulder to let me know he was there.

Echoing footfalls reached my ears and Emmett and I both turned to the side, pistols aimed into the shadows where it sounded like the steps were coming from. More footsteps came from behind us and to our leftsurrounded us as right before the door we'd just come through slammed shut, the sound almost deafening in its echo. Without saying a word Emmett spun around and put his back to mine so we were pressed against each other facing outward.

We drew our spare pistols when as the sound of laughter came from all around us, slightly distorted from the echo and the speaker system it was being projected through. With a gun in each hand Emmett and I started a slow circle, keeping our backs pressed together, straining to listen for sounds of anyone approaching closer.

"I'm surprised you came, Edward." James voice came through the speakers, the system causing his voice to bounce around the room as it went between speakers. Creepy if you didn't recognize what was going on. "You knew it was a trap."

I didn't bother with a response and after a few seconds James spoke again. "She's not here. But I'm sure you've already figured that one out."

A loud bang echoed throughout the warehouse and all of a sudden the darkness disappeared. Momentarily blinded I didn't see the six men that had surrounded us in the dark until they were on top of us, disarming us with much less effort than it should've taken. By the time my eyes adjusted to the light, Emmett and I were both on our knees with six mean looking MP5 sub-machine guns pointed at our faces. Military issue weapons. Wonderful.

They hadn't done any kind of a search on us so we still had a pistol apiece and Emmett had a sawed-off shotgun across his back under the jacket he was wearing. So we weren't completely helpless but fuck if we weren't in a bad position.

Footsteps reached my ears again and I looked up, my eyes narrowing as I watched James approach us, an SMG of his own held in one hand down by his side. "Edward, my friend. You should have just come with me. We could've saved ourselves all this trouble."

The need to bash this sorry fuckers' face in was almost irresistible but I managed to keep myself in check, even if only just barely. "Where is she?"

James held his hands out, indicating the massive, empty warehouse. "Not here."

I glared at him, hatred pumping through my veins and my body trembling with the need to do something violent. "Where. Is. She." My words were clipped and low, squeezed out between clenched teeth.

James sighed and shook his head as though I were deliberately misunderstanding him. He pulled something out of his pocket and pointed it over his shoulder. A second later a huge flat screen television hanging on the far wall flipped on, revealing a full color image of someone curled up with their back to the camera, the metal slab they were lying on glinting in the overhead light in the room.

It took a second for my brain to register that it was Bella I was seeing with her back to the camera, Bella who'se body was visibly trembling, Bella who'se quiet sobs were loud in the now silent warehouse. My heart stopped and my vision turned red, anger and hate taking control of my body and launching me forward before any one of the six guards could move to stop me.

James didn't even try to defend himself, my shoulder catching him in the stomach and slamming him back down onto the concrete. I quickly moved to straddle his waist, my fist hitting his face hard enough to bounce his head off the floor. My second punch jerked his head to the side and blood pooled in his mouth, staining my knuckles with my third strike. I didn't even have the presence of mind to remember I had a weapon and could shoot the fucker.

Before I could punch him again I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head, just hard enough to stun me without knocking me out. I slumped forward slightly before an arm wrapped around my shoulders, keeping me from falling on top of James before shoving me backwards and off my punching bag. One of the guards had finally made a move and was now standing above me, pointing the dangerous end of his gun - the end that hadn't just connected with my head - right at my face.

I held my hands away from my body so the guard didn't think I was going for a weapon, the blow to the head having calmed enough of my anger that I nowto realized getting myself killed wasn't going to help any.

The guard took a step back and motioned to someone nearby with his gun. Emmett's face appeared above mine as he slid his hands under my shoulders and helped me into a sitting position. I fought not to wince as the movement sendt sharp fingers of pain throughout my head, feeding the developing headache I was getting.

I started to lean forward and support myself but Emmett's hands tightened ever so slightly on my shoulders. I got the message, despite the pain haze coating my brain. Play up the injury and we might get a better chance of escape. But first, I needed to find out where we were going to escape to.

"Where is she, James?" I asked, my voice quiet and full of the anger that I had been feeling only moments before.

James was sitting up, spitting blood on the floor and wiping it off his chin with his shirt sleeve. He turned irritated eyes to me, the expression in them changing to one of evil amusement. "Sully has her."

And right on queue the sound of a cell door opening drew my attention to the TV screen. I watched as Sully, the man who had haunted my dreams years before, walked into the room, not even acknowledging the camera. He moved to stand at the foot of the slab Bella was laying on, hand coming to rest on her ankle as he spoke, though what he said didn't make it past the pounding in my ears. She flinched but didn't make a sound, her sobs having quieted completely.

I must have made some kind of move forward because Emmett's fingers dug painfully into my shoulders, keeping me firmly in place. I could feel my blood boiling again as Sully ran his hand up Bella's leg, and it was only then that I noticed the cuff around her ankle, chaining her to the wall the slab was built into. Bella tried to move away from Sully's hand but she couldn't go anywhere that he couldn't reach.

"She really is quite a catch. All innocence and fire." James laughed, wipeding the remaining blood from his face, getting to his feet and turning so he could watch. "Too bad you fucked her. Sully would've enjoyed stripping her of such a valuable gift."

Fire burned deep in my gut, guilt mixing with the fury and the hatred, nausea rolling my stomach until I thought I might throw up. I managed to avoid that but only barely. This whole situation was my fault and the thought made me physically ill. I should've taken Emmett's advice from the beginning and just severed all ties with Bella. At least then she would've been safe.

James had been watching my face this entire time and the amusement that colored his expression said loud and clear that my anguish was written across my face. I glared up at him before a sudden whimper drew my attention back to the TV.

Sully had moved to sit on the slab beside Bella, his hand on her stomach forcing her onto her back. Her shirt was gone and wherever Sully had dropped it, it was out of the camera's view. Bella jerked when he started moving his hand up her bare stomach towards her chest, her hands coming up and grabbing his wrist in both hands, stopping his progress. With his free hand he reached up and backhanded her, the _crack _of skin on skin making me wince even as Bella's head jerked to the side, the camera getting a full look at her face now.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and blood welled from a small cut on her lip but she never let go of his wrist, her fingers going noticeably whiter as her grip tightened. She was fighting him even though I could still see her body trembling and she knew he could hurt her badly. That's my girl.

Emmett pressed his fingers into my shoulders again and I dragged my attention away from the TV to glance back at him. We shared a brief, second long look but that was all we needed. I took a quick look around and noticed all the guards were watching the screen instead of us, more than one of them looking like they were enjoying the show more thean they should be. I narrowed my eyes and dipped my head down slightly, giving Emmett the go ahead.

The next few minutes seemed to move in a slow motion blur, everything slowed down until I could see every detail, think through every decision, but speeding by so fast that I didn't have time to contemplate our probable failure.

Emmett shoved me forward and I tucked my head, rolling and coming up to one knee beside the guard who had struck me with his gun, my own gun pulled before I even finished the movement. I shot upwards, a small hole appearing in the guards' jaw before the bullet lodged in his brain and he fell forward. With my free hand I grabbed the guard's' gun while my own pistol was already pointed at a second guard, blood blossoming across his chest before the crack of gunfire had even reached my ears. I spun on my knee, bringing the SMG up along with my pistol, firing the pistol at a third guard while a fourth went down under the semi-automatic fire from my newly acquired weapon.

The other two were already down, Emmett having done a wonderful job of holding his own. He was now pointing his shotgun at James who was cradling a bleeding hand against his chest. His own gun was nowhere to be found.

I went around and kicked weapons out of the reach of dead hands, just in case, before going to stand beside Emmett, two very different guns adding to the threat of Emmett's shotgun.

"Now, James," I said, my voice entirely too calm considering what had just gone down. "I'm only going to ask you one more time. Where is Bella?"

James' eyes were a little wide as he stared down the barrels of a shotgun, a pistol and a sub-machine gun. He swallowed hard before sitting back on his heels, a resigned look on his face. "Sully's got a house right outside Seattle. He's keeping her there."

Emmett shook his head and, while I was glad we had finally gotten some information out of this weasel, I had to agree. James didn't have the balls for the kind of work he enjoyed doing. Put a gun to his face and he'd spill anything.

I put my pistol away and used both hands to keep the SMG steady while Emmett slung his shotgun across his back, pulling out his own pistol and snapping the butt across James' face, effectively knocking him unconscious. He crumpled to the ground and Emmett put his gun away, bending down to lift our new captive over his shoulder.

I led the way back out to the car where we dug around in the trunk until we found roll of duct tape and bound James' hands behind his back after searching him for concealed weapons. We taped his ankles together as well before tossing his limp form into the backseat. By the time we had both gotten in the car he was starting to regain consciousness. Emmett put the car in gear and we left the warehouse district, heading back towards Seattle.

**Bella POV**

It felt like I had been lying on cold metal for hours and I had long since cried myself out. I was exhausted from trying to fight the tears and fear but I couldn't let myself rest. Thoughts of Alice and Edward and all the trouble they were in because of me kept me from relaxing enough to even clear my head, much less get any sleep. Add in the chill of my cell and it was recipe for absolute misery.

I rolled onto my side facing the wall, one hand resting on the cold stone so I could avoid rolling into the wall again. I'd knocked my knee pretty hard a little while ago and it was still throbbing. The lack of light made my situation and the cool temperature seem that much worse. There wasn't even a hint of light anywhere that I could see.

My chest heaved with a heavy sigh, my breath shaking on the exhale, though whether from a few remaining tears or the chill I wasn't sure. I wondered, not for the first time, if Alice was okay. Sully had described her as a 'loose end' and if all the gangster movies I'd ever watched were any indication, that wasn't a good thing. If he had tied up that particular loose end I would never forgive myself.

A faint sob escaped me before I even realized it was coming. I should have just put my foot down and told Alice we were staying at the house. Then none of this would have happened. She wouldn't be in danger and I wouldn't be here, wherever the hell 'here' was. If I had just been firm; but no, not even that would have worked. I hadn't been taking the situation as seriously as I should have. That's where I made my first and biggest mistake. I should have listened to Edward and just kept my head down.

Another sigh and I pressed my cheek to the cold metal beneath me. So many things I should have done that could have kept me from this place, this situation. So many things I was an idiot to ignore.

A sudden fit of self-directed anger took hold of me and I lashed out, kicking my unrestrained foot against the wall and instantly regretting it as I gasped in pain, my toes feeling like I'd just jammed them halfway into my foot. I reached down and massaged my throbbing foot, whimpering softly just to make some noise and maybe relieve some of the pained tension in my body.

I heard what sounded like a door opening somewhere nearby and a second later the lights turned on, momentarily blinding me despite having my face turned away from the source. Footsteps reached my ears but I didn't dare look up, my fingers still massaging my sore foot as the pain turned into a dull ache that made its way up my entire leg until I was quietly sobbing from the pain. I'd kicked the wall harder then I'd intended, not that I'd actually intended to do something so futile and stupid.

The loud clanging of my cell door being opened made me tense and when I felt a hand on my ankle I nearly jumped out of my skin. I said a silent prayer that maybe James had come back, because I'd far rather be in James' company than Sully's', when my visitor spoke up and my hopes were crushed beneath a very heavy metaphorical rock.

"I see you managed to get out of the ropes." Sully's voice sounded cruel as it echoed off the sound wall I was pressed against.

I pulled my hands in closer to my body, doing my best to curl around them so he couldn't get to them and tie me back up. It had taken a lot of effort for me to get out of the bindings James had put around my wrists but eventually, after I thought for sure my fingers were going to fall off from lack of blood, I had managed to tug myself free. I had nearly bloody rope burn on my wrists and lower part of my hands to prove it.

I felt movement behind me before an arm reached around me and I was forced onto my back. Sully gripped my shirt in both hands and before I could stop him he had it far enough up my chest that my arms were partially restrained and I couldn't put the shirt back down if I had to. That didn't mean I didn't try, 'cause I did, but it only earned me a nasty look from Sully and my shirt floating to the floor.

I bit my lip to try and fight back a whimper when I felt him put his hand flat on my bare stomach. His fingers were against my skin and the contrast made my breath come a little quicker with the realization of what he wanted. When he started moving his hand up my stomach I panicked, both my hands moving to wrap around his wrist and stop him. My muscles were straining, fear and exhaustion and cold making me almost too weak to even put up a fight but I managed to keep him in one place, though I could see my fingers turning white with the effort.

I was so focused on keeping that one hand from going anywhere that I didn't even notice Sully's other hand until I felt the sting across the side of my face from where his knuckles had connected. My head jerked to the side and it was then that I noticed the video camera set up on a tripod a dozen feet away. I felt the tears forming in my eyes as my imagination ran wild with possible reasons for the camera but through it all, the backhanded slap and my newest worries, I managed to keep my hold on Sully's wrist.

The hand that had slapped me gripped my chin and turned me away from the camera to look back at my captor who was now leaning over me, his lips barely an inch from my own.

"The more you resist, the worse it's going to be, dear Bella." His whispered words sent my heart pounding and I closed my eyes, trying to keep my breathing under control. Sully pushed up against my grip around his wrist again but I held firm, not knowing what exactly I was trying to prove but going with it anyway.

A dark chuckle came from above me. "Have it your way. Just remember: I warned you." He pressed his lips to mine and I bit him, my body acting on reflex instead of consulting my brain about how bad of an idea that was. I let go almost immediately, before I drew blood, but the damage was done. Sully jerked back, removing his hand from my stomach only to grip the hair on top of my head and use it as a hold to lift my head before slamming it back down onto the metal slab beneath me. Stars exploded behind my closed eyes as the echo from the impact bounced back to my ears three or four times.

My wrists were gathered together roughly and pulled above my head, stretching my body out until I could feel the cuff around my ankle digging into my skin uncomfortably. I struggled weakly against him as he retied my hands above my head, though most of my fight was gone due to the up-in-the-clouds feeling I had from the blow to my head. The rope stung as it slid across my already burned wrists and was tied tighter then when James had done it before, damn near cutting off my circulation already. If I moved even the slightest bit down to try and relieve the pressure on my ankle, I'd cut off blow flow to both my hands. I guess this was what fighting would get me.

Fingers tangled in my hair again and yanked my head to the side until Sully could look me in the eye. "You had the chance for nice and easy, Bella. When I come back, you'll find out what you're little show of defiance has earned you." He shoved my head back, releasing his grip on my hair and thankfully not slamming my head back against the slab. Without another word, or even so much as a glance, he left the cell, slamming the door behind him. I heard his footsteps on the stairs before the lights went out and then there was silence.

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**Reviews make Edward happy and Sully miserable.**

**:):):)**


	16. Chapter 16

Yes, I know. I'm horrible with updating. In my defense, the army is running me and my husband ragged so I've been terribly busy. Things haven't calmed down much but it's been enough to get this typed up. I've started chapter seventeen but I don't know how long it'll take to finish and I'm not making any promises of soon. On the bright side, there is an end in sight to the madness that is the military so hopefully the shitty updating won't last much longer. =]

Now, this chapter is UNEDITED. My beta is still working on editing it but I wanted to post this for you guys here on FFnet just so you'd know that I hadn't forgotten about ya'll or the story. The edited version will go up on Twilighted when it's finished unless there are significant changes. In that case, I'll go back through and fix this chapter and post an announcement letting ya'll know what's up.

**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**

**VERY IMPORTANT. DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER WITHOUT READING THIS FIRST!!!!!!!!!**

This is a very, VERY INTENSE chapter for our characters and it may be hard for some people to read. There is excessive violence and sexual assault/attempted rape in this chapter. Remember, I already eased everyone's earlier fears and Bella IS NOT raped but this chapter may still be a trigger for people who have had similar traumatic experiences. If you feel that you won't be able to read this, please PM me and I will write up a less detailed version that would be better for you so you can get the plotline. I don't mind doing this so please don't hesitate to ask. But to finish up the story, this chapter (in whatever variation) must be read. It opens up the way for the rest of the story and the final bits of character development. I will do whatever necessary to make sure you guys get the full story experience. You've all stuck by me for the long haul and been patient with my updating; it's the least I can do for all of you.

Listen to "Running Up The Hill" by Placebo while reading this. It's the perfect song for in my opinion - the words, the tone, the music, everything. In my head, certain parts of this chapter played out in slow motion like dramatic scenes in movies sometimes do. If you've ever watched a dramatic movie, you'll know the scenes when you come across them. The song especially perfect for those scenes.

And now that the longest A/N ever is completed, let's get this show on the road!

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**Edward POV**

There were many things I would rather have been doing with my life at this moment in time and not one of them involved sitting in my Volvo, a bruised and bloody James in the backseat, Emmett beside him keeping him in line, and the three of us watching the sun come up over Sully's current hideout. James swore up and down that this was where Sully was keeping Bella and Emmett had taken it into his own hands to make sure it was truth. Hence the reason I would be scrubbing blood off my back seats in the near future. Provided I survived the reckless rescue attempt I had going through my head, of course.

Emmett and I had decided on the drive over that we were going to take Sully out and be done with it. Our original plan of turning James over to him and hoping that got him off my back was pretty much shit from the moment we thought it up and the current situation had only brought that fact to our attention. We both knew the only way to get Bella back and not have to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders was to take out the source of the threat. And for all of James' gusto, he was far from the biggest threat to my life and happiness at the moment.

"How do you want to do this, Edward?" Emmett's soft voice broke through the silence that had fallen over the car, snapping me out of my thoughts with a slight jerk. I glanced at him in the rearview mirror briefly before going back to staring at the house at the end of the street.

"How much ammo do we have?" I asked quietly in the stead of answering his question.

Silence answered me and I looked back in the rearview mirror again to see Emmett staring at me with a look on his face that said he had a good idea what my plan was and he didn't like it one bit. James shifted in the seat beside Emmett and started to say something but the look Emmett gave him stopped whatever he'd been about to say.

"Enough to get us in," Emmett said, finally answering me. "Probably not enough to get us out." His voice was low and grim, a fatalistic tone coloring his words.

My jaw clenched with the words I knew to be true. We'd used up most of our resources getting to where we were. If Sully had his usual brigade of bodyguards and flunkies then we'd be hard pressed to push our ammunition far enough to make our ultimate goal of finding Bella and taking care of Sully. It was doubtful that we'd be able to take on any kind of reinforcements if we even made it that far to begin with. Our situation was bleak, to say the least.

"If you guys are dead set to commit suicide, how about you leave me here." James spoke up despite Emmett's earlier warning glare. Emmett, not appreciating being defied, shot his fist out to connect with the side of James' head. A dull _thud_ reached my ears when his dazed, nearly unconscious body slouched against the door, his head banging the window in the process.

"What do you want to do?" Emmett asked again, his voice considerably calmer now that he'd managed to take out a small portion of his aggression.

I inhaled, the sweet scent of morning air drifting in through window that I'd cracked to let out some of the stench of blood when Emmett started his interrogation. "Load up. Take everything you can without overburdening yourself." With that I pushed the door open and stood beside the car, enjoying the feel of the chill morning air, watching as the sun finished its rise over the horizon and accepting the fact that this may very well be the last time I saw the sunrise.

Emmett was already rummaging through the trunk when I walked around behind the car. The rest of our weapons and ammunition supply was scattered about the carpeted interior, courtesy of my reckless driving and our hurry to reload every time we returned to the car. I reloaded each of my pistols and pocketed the spare SMG magazines I'd lifted off James' dead friends. I slung an assault rifle across my chest and tucked extra ammo under my belt.

When Emmett had loaded up I slammed the trunk shut and got back in the car, not even bothering to adjust my weapons for a more comfortable position. I pulled right up in front of Sully's house and parked in front of the mailbox. The place appeared to be deserted but I'd learned long ago that appearances could be, and most of often were, deceiving.

Emmett dragged a now semi-conscious James out of the backseat while I aimed the assault rifle at the front door, keeping my eyes open for any signs of movement. James stumbled to his knees in my peripheral vision and I glanced over to find Emmett with a MP5 in one hand and the other wrapped around James' arm. He used this grip to drag James to his feet and shoved him towards the front door. We stood to either side of the door, letting James take front and center in case someone tried to shoot through the door. A movie cliché, sure, but every once and a while it did happen.

Emmett reached over and tried the knob, finding it locked. He glanced to me and we shared a look, both of us knowing full well that this was the point of no return. I gave a slight nod and Emmett's grip on James tightened, pulling him back a few inches. I moved, filling the space between James and the door and putting my foot to the door right next to the knob, splintering the wooden frame and slamming the door back against the wall. I immediately dropped into a crouch, almost before my foot returned to the ground, and moved quickly inside before the door bounced back. My foot stopped the door from slamming shut again while my gun and my eyes were trained on the empty foyer, my ears straining for any possible sound.

Emmett shoved James through the door, keeping James in front of him as a shield with his MP5 braced on James' shoulder. It was eerily quiet in the house, making our movements sound much, much louder then they were. Someone would have heard us, there should have been some movement _somewhere._ I glanced up at Emmett who turned his gun to press the barrel against James' temple, leaning over to whisper something in his ear. James' eyes darted around the empty hall before he closed them completely.

"I swear, man. This is where he brought her. This is where they'll be." James said, his fingers flexing. Probably trying to get blood flow going through his bound hands. Emmett had tied that zip tie a little tight.

"You better be right," Emmett grumbled, his body tense and ready for action.

Ahead of us, at the far end of the hall, was a staircase that went straight up then turned at a ninety degree angle and disappeared into the darkness of the second floor. Anyone could be waiting up there and we'd never know it without investigating. Two doors to our right and one on our left were shut, hiding their secrets for the moment.

I glanced at Emmett and motioned with my hand, silently indicating he should go for the single door to our left first. A brief nod and he shoved James forward, positioning him in front of that closed door before putting his foot through the door between the knob and the frame. He panned his gun back and forth briefly before grunting a rough "clear" and pulling James back. He did this same procedure with the two doors on our right, using James as a human shield while I kept his back covered, watching the stairs, the rooms he'd already checked, and the front door at the same time.

With all three rooms cleared we started towards the stairs, Emmett taking point simply because he had James as a shield. We took the stairs one at a time, straining our eyes to try and see in the total darkness upstairs. Logic says there should have been some light coming from somewhere but it was pitch black. I had to swallow past my racing pulse once we reached the landing where the stairs turned ninety degrees before continuing upwards. The top of the stairs was dimly lit by the already weak light filtering up from downstairs but none of that light reached the dark pit of a hallway that stretched out before us, daring us to explore it.

"There's a light switch somewhere over there," James whispered, gesturing into the dark and to the right.

I stepped back and went around behind Emmett so I didn't cross into his line of fire as I went searching for the switch, finding it only a few feet in. I flipped it up and was greeted with a view of a long hallway with two doors on either side, all closed. I brought my gun up, keeping it aimed at head height, and walked along the wall to the first door. Emmett came up behind me and maneuvered until he had James positioned in front of this door and I had my gun pointed everywhere else.

All four rooms turned out to be empty and barely furnished. Sully hadn't had this place long, then.

The tension in my entire body jumped up a notch when we reached the fourth door and had yet to find any security, or anybody at all, for that matter. Emmett had moved his gun to the back of James' head and was threatening bodily harm if he had lied to us. The verbal threat was unnecessary but if it made Emmett feel better, more power to him. Hell, if it would have made me feel better, you could bet your ass I'd be doing it to. As it was, the only thing that could really make me feel better at that moment would be to shoot someone. Preferably Sully but right now, one of his goons would do just fine. I wasn't going to be too picky.

I was dragged out of my thoughts by the sound of undisguised movement downstairs. My body went on full alert and I lifted a hand to shush Emmett, though he'd heard it too and had already stopped his whispered threats. With both hands wrapped around my gun I started a slow pace back down the hall to the stairs, one foot in front of the other with my body turned a little sideways, making myself as small a target as I could while walking down the center of an open hallway.

Emmett was close behind me when I reached the stairs but looking down showed me nothing except the lights downstairs had been turned off. I felt my heart beat faster with the knowledge that whoever was down there had deliberately made enough noise to draw our attention. This whole damn thing had been one trap right after another so I don't know why I was surprised.

I turned to look back at Emmett, a question on my face. We were going to have to go back downstairs and we both knew it was a deathtrap. We didn't know the layout of the house very well, nor did we know how many people had entered the lower level of the house while we were busy up top. It was damn near suicide to go downstairs but it was a chance we knew we had to take.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders in response to my silent question and, as was usual, charged full speed ahead, figuratively speaking of course. With a slight shove to his prisoner, Emmett started down the stairs, holding James in such a way to make it difficult to shoot Emmett without going through his shield first. I followed a few steps behind, not having the benefit of a human shield but hoping the combined bulk of Emmett and James would be enough.

My heart was in my throat by the time we reached the bottom of the stairs and my body was on high alert. I could feel every shift in the air against my sensitive skin. Emmett moved until he had his back to mine, mimicking our positioning from the warehouse only hours earlier.

"Lights?" I heard Emmett ask James in a rough growl a second before Emmett stepped away from me. I went to take a step backward, to follow his progress and keep him at my back, when a flash of light from directly in front of me and maybe a dozen yards away preceded a sharp, burning pain to my left shoulder. I didn't even register the noise of the gunshot until I hit the ground, the bullet having ripped clean through my shoulder.

I pulled the trigger of my pistol without even having to think about it, instinct telling me where to aim and when to shoot. I didn't hear anything to indicate whether or not I'd hit my target because right about then Emmett started shooting, his SMG drowning out everything. I rolled over onto my side and eased into a crouch, keeping my head low as I inched my way across the few feet that separated me from Emmett. My shoulder was starting to throb and the fingers of my left hand were tingling, making it difficult to keep a two handed grip on my gun.

I felt a hand wrap around my arm and I was pulled to my feet and off to the side, landing roughly against the stairs and wincing when the edge of a stair slammed into my hip. Light from the upper level lit up enough of the area that I could tell it was James who had grabbed me and pulled me out of the line of fire. Emmett was crouched in front of me, leaning around the banister to shoot before ducking back behind the solid wood.

All of this happened within the space of a few seconds before my brain switched back into gear and I gripped my gun tighter, moving down to crouch beside Emmett, giving him cover fire as he reloaded. Gunfire right beside me jerked my head around to find James firing one of Emmett's spare weapons up the stairs. Seconds later a body came to rest on the landing right above us, blood already pooling underneath it.

I didn't have time to contemplate James' sudden turn in loyalties. Shots came from the direction of the front door and forced my attention elsewhere. I turned to see three guys armed to the gills come through the busted front door. The first one went down with a well aimed shot between the eyes, the second from a burst that came from above my head as James threw his two cents in. The third got off a shot that caught Emmett as he was turning to reload. Three shots to the chest took him out and left him lying across the threshold.

I turned to check on Emmett but the bullet had just grazed the top of his thigh. Quite literally just a flesh wound. While Emmett reloaded I panned my gun from the front door to where Emmett had been shooting. I couldn't at least half a dozen bodies just on a glance but it didn't look like there was anyone posing an immediate threat. Once Emmett had reloaded I pushed myself off the stairs and went to disarm the bodies by the front door. Taking their weapons more than doubled our current arsenal.

A glance behind me showed Emmett doing the same thing on the other end of the hall in what looked like the dining room. I made my way over to him, grabbing James on the way and taking the gun from his hand. He didn't even try to resist. Once I reached Emmett, I handed over the gun I'd taken from James and looked around, taking in the bloody carnage that was spread across the floor of what I could now confirm to be the dining room.

James ran his hand along the wall and flipped the light switch, giving us enough light to see a kitchen connected to the dining room and the amount of bodies littering the floor. Definitely more than the three or four I had originally assumed.

Emmett, having collected as many weapons as he could, made his way over to me and started to reach for my shoulder. I shifted, turning away just enough so that he got the point. We had more important things to worry about and not a lot of time to worry about them. Tending injuries would have to wait.

With a brief nod of understanding, Emmett grabbed James by the arm and growled, "Where is she?"

James started walking towards the kitchen with Emmett still attached to his arm and me following close behind, walking sideways so I could cover our backs and still keep an eye on where they were going. James stopped in front of one of the two doors in the kitchen. I checked the one across the room and found only a well stocked pantry.

Emmett had his hand on the doorknob when I returned to where they were waiting and as soon as I gave the all clear, pushed the door open. A set of stairs led down into a stone hallway that disappeared out of view after a few feet. At least there was light down there. Emmett glanced at James who just nodded before getting a forceful shove down the stairs.

**Bella POV**

I hurt, a deep muscle ache born from constant tension and the uncomfortable position I'd been left in. My fingers were numb and sharp, painful tingles were beginning to become a permanent feeling, a sure sign that I wasn't getting enough blood to my hands. I could feel the shackle around my ankle digging in and every time I shifted it felt like something sharp rubbing against a rug burn.

I don't know how long I was left alone but it seemed like hours. I was starting to feel claustrophobic in the darkness, my heart a constant presence in my throat, making it hard to swallow. I was so on edge that when the lights cut on I nearly screamed, my heart beating twice as hard as before and my body tensing up so tight it felt I pulled every muscle in my body all at once.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by the sound of my cell opening. I was stretched so tight that I couldn't have lifted my head enough to see who it was even if I had wanted to. I really didn't, not wanting to see Sully's face if he'd come to torment me again or James' if he'd come to stare at me with those sick, lust filled eyes.

A few seconds that felt like hours later, Sully came into my view, a wicked smile on his face that chilled the blood in my veins and made my heart skip a few beats. He stood there, watching me, for a while before sitting down on the metal slab, his hand coming to rest on my bare stomach with an almost possessive touch. I couldn't move out from under his touch without completely cutting the blood flow to my hands so I just looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes, forcing myself to take deep breaths despite my body's desire to panic.

"So calm," Sully mused, his voice soft, almost kind. "But I can feel your heart pounding. Your body betrays you."

I swallowed hard and kept my eyes shut tight. If I didn't look at him it would be easier to pretend this was all a bad dream. I felt his hand move up my stomach and come to rest on my breast, drawing a shuddering breath from me, my fingers clenching as much as they could. His fingers squeezed roughly and I gasped from the aching pain he caused, drawing a low laugh from him.

"Ah, my pet, I'm going to enjoy my time with you." I heard a sharp _snick _sound seconds before the touch of cold metal on my stomach made me jump, surprise forcing my eyes open. Sully brought the object in front of my face, letting the light glint off the silver blade of the switchblade he held. I swallowed before closing my eyes again. I didn't want to see what he was going to do with that.

I felt the sharp tip of the blade press against my cheek and had to bite my lip to keep from making any noise. He dragged the tip down my cheek and across my jaw, coming to rest right above the racing pulse in my throat where he pressed down hard enough to hurt.

"I could kill you so easily." He spoke almost as though to himself, dragging the blade down my throat, still digging the tip into my flesh. I felt something warm trickle down the side of my neck and knew he had drawn blood. "But then you'd be getting off easy," he continued, easing up on the pressure as he trailed the blade over my collar bone to the tops of my breasts. "And I'd miss out on my fun."

He pressed the blade into the soft flesh above my bra deep enough to drag a cry from my throat as he slowly dragged a line across my breast. I didn't even have to feel the warm liquid to know he'd drawn blood this time.

"I think it's time to see what I get to play with." I felt the blade slide to the strap of my bra and then felt a release as he sliced through it. He did the same with the other strap before undoing the front clasp of my bra. I squirmed and turned my head into my arm as he pulled the material away from my body, revealing my breasts to him. My eyes squeezed tight as I fought back tears.

A low groan came from the man above me and the sharp tip of the blade circled my nipple. "Now I see what Edward saw in you, my pet." I felt the blade lift away and breathed a brief sigh of relief until I felt a tugging at my jeans. The button came undone and the zipper was lowered. I felt Sully's hands start to slip under the material then stop. He stayed still for a few seconds, long enough that I opened my eyes to find him staring up towards the ceiling, a frown on his face. At first I thought he'd lost it, gone crazier than he already was, but then I heard what had drawn his attention. Gunshots, faint but still recognizable.

Sully's expression smoothed over and a cocky smile replaced the frown. "That'll be your boyfriend, I'm sure. I'll take you up to see his body when my men are done with him. Give you a chance to say goodbye." My heart filled my tightening throat as I tried to fight back tears. I twisted in my restraints as the tears fell down my face and into my hair, despite my best efforts to prevent them. Edward was going to die and it was my fault. If I'd just listened, taken things more seriously….

A sob escaped me before I fight against it and I felt Sully lean over me, his hand going around my hip to rest on my lower back, using it to lift my body up. I felt his lips on my stomach, hit hot breath ghosting across my flesh as he laughed at my pain. "Cry for your lover; it'll be the last thing you do for him." Without any warning I felt him shift and sink his teeth into the soft flesh of my breast and I cried out, pulling hard against my restraints as I tried to get away from.

Sully moved away from me and I felt hands on my wrists, working the ropes loose. Once my hands were free they were immediately assaulted by the sharp stabs of blood rushing through the veins and I winced. He grabbed both my wrists in his hand and used the other hand to roll me over, forcing my shackled leg to turn at an odd angle as he put me on my stomach. My loosened jeans slid down my hips a little as I was moved and I could feel the cool air in the room against my butt.

"Mm, look at that." Sully ran his hand over the swell of my ass and I squirmed, trying to get away from his hands, his body, his voice. He tightened his grip on my wrists and brought his free hand down on my ass, hard enough that I cried out and tried once again to wiggle away. Another hard smack made me whimper but I finally lay still, my breathing labored with the effort it was taking to try and control my tears. Sully shifted my arms, twisting them behind my back and holding my wrists together at the small of my back, using that as further leverage to keep me still.

"You should get used to this, pet." I flinched when his hand came down again and turned my face into the table, clenching my teeth to stop the sob that wanted to escape. "Your ass will be sore more often then not." I felt a rough tugging on my jeans as he pulled them further down, the going made a little awkward since he could only use the one hand. I could feel the faint trembling that was slowly starting to take over my body, silent tears falling freely down my face to land on the cool metal beneath me.

My deep breaths and sniffling began to echo in my own ears and I soon realized that not only had Sully stopped talking, but the gunfire that had faded into a barely heard background noise had stopped entirely. I took a breath and held it, trying to get my trembling under control and failing horribly. The thought that Edward had come to save me and was now lying dead upstairs was too much. My breath exploded out of me on a sob and it opened the floodgates. Sobs wracked my body though the only real sounds that I made were whimpers and gasps.

"Shall we go see what's left, my pet?" Sully's voice was cruel in my ears and I felt my head shake, back and forth, over and over again. My lips formed the word 'no' repeatedly though I didn't say it out loud. I felt a hand on my ankle and heard the scrape of metal on metal before my ankle was released from the shackle and my leg was able to straighten out. I whimpered as my knee twisted back into its natural place, the joint stiff from being twisted under my other leg.

"Come on, up you go." He used his grip on my wrists, still held behind my back, to lift my up to my knees then to the floor. I stumbled on the cold concrete beneath my feet, wincing when Sully yanked back on my arms to keep me upright. My body didn't want to function, my feet didn't want to make the steps necessary to leave the cell, my head didn't want to contemplate that now was probably the only chance I'd have to plan an escape. I was unbound, his hand on my wrists the only remaining restraint, but there were an unknown number of guards upstairs and I was mostly naked. Give the choice, I'd rather die at the hands of guards who were trying to prevent my escape than spend the rest of my life as Sully's plaything.

My jeans had fallen down around my knees and Sully had to stop trying to force me to walk to pull them up. He got them back up over my hips but left them open, revealing the black and red heart designed into the fabric of my panties. Another not so gentle push and I took a step forward, then another, then another, until we had made it out of the cell. It seemed like it had taken hours to go the few feet to the hall but I knew it had been only seconds. I tried to take another step when Sully pushed against my back but my body had begun to shake again and my brain couldn't connect the command 'walk' with the actual movements required.

Time had seemed to slow down so when Sully suddenly yanked me around, pulling my back up against his chest and turning us to face down one side of the hall, it all seemed to take an eternity. Through the fog in my head and the ringing in my ears I noticed we were now facing a set of concrete stairs, though it took a few seconds for me register that there were people on the stairs. People I recognized. And just as suddenly as time had slowed, it sped right back up again.

"Let her go, Sully." Emmett's voice reached my ears as he came into view at the bottom of the stairs, holding James in front of him in a similar fashion to how Sully was holding me. The biggest difference I could see was that Emmett had a gun and Sully didn't.

I felt Sully's laugh against my back. "I'm impressed, Edward. I didn't think you'd make it this far." He took a step back, keeping my body tight against his chest. "And I see you brought backup. Did you think I didn't know you intended to betray me, James?"

James just shrugged half-heartedly as Edward came into view behind Emmett, gun held in a two handed grip. I noticed he was sweating in the harsh lights above us but to me he'd never looked so beautiful. Or so angry. I felt tears gathering in my eyes and my throat closed up, my relief that he was alive taking a backburner to my shame that I had let this happen.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I shouldn't have-" My sobbing apology was cut short when Sully yanked my arms up, twisting my shoulders painfully and forcing a different kind of sob from me.

Edward didn't say anything and Sully laughed again, speaking right next to my ear. "She's been such a good little pet. Struggles at just the right moments to make having her such a treat." I turned my head to the side, trying to get away from his words and the warm air caressing my ear. I felt a hand wrap around my chin as he laughed again and my head was pulled back. At the same time, the hands holding my wrists behind me pushed out, forcing my chest out and putting my bare breasts on display.

"How many times have you enjoyed this view, dear Edward?" The grip on my chin changed from a tight hold to a gentle caress that trailed down my neck to my breasts and circled the near bloody bite mark. "How many times have you touched this?"

I almost couldn't bear it but I forced myself to look at Edward. The look on his face was murderous as he took a step forward, coming up even beside Emmett. Sully moved his hand down to my side, his fingers making a gentle trail down my rips to my hip before slipping under the waist of my panties. I tried to squirm away but he tightened his hold on my wrists and applied more pressure to my shoulders. "How many times have you tasted this?"

I heard a strangled sound come from Edward as took another step forward, away from Emmett and James and further into the hall. I barely had time to notice that Sully's hand had moved away from my body before the sound of a gunshot right beside my ear deafened me. My body instinctively cringed and I tried to pull away, my mind trying to get my body to roll to the side despite being restrained. A second gunshot barely penetrated through the ringing in my ears and the grip on my wrists slackened, though not enough for me to pull free. I was yanked backwards off my feet, landing on my back on Sully's chest and crying out when my shoulders screamed under my body weight.

The fingers around my wrists loosened entirely and my own weight rolled me off of Sully and onto the floor. My ears were still ringing as I straightened my shoulders out, lifting my head to see what had caused his grip to loosen. My eyes widened and I sat up only to fall back on my ass at the sight of the blood spreading across Sully's chest and neck. I crawled backwards away from him until my back hit the bars of my cell. The cold steel jolted me back into reality and the sounds I was beginning to hear drew my attention to the stairs. I saw James standing by himself, his eyes focused on the on me, a look of pain on his face. My eyes shifted down, finding Emmett crouched down beside a pile of clothing on the floor, his gun discarded. It took me almost a minute before my brain caught up to what my eyes were seeing and my heart stopped.

I don't remember giving the order for my body to move, I don't even remember moving, but the next thing I knew I was at Edward's side, staring down at the blood on his chest. Wide green eyes meet mine as my throat tightened and tears once again gathered in my eyes, falling freely down my face.

"No, please, no." I didn't even recognize that strangled noises coming from me. My hands fluttered in the air for a few brief seconds before another set of hands covered mine, pressing them down against Edward's chest. I looked up and met Emmett's dark gaze as he tried to hide the pain in his own face.

"Hold pressure here, Bella." Emmett's voice was strong, the command in his words sinking through the haze of pain that had settled over me. "Do you hear me?" He held my eyes with his until I nodded. "Put all your weight on your hands."

I lifted up on my knees to put as much weight as I could on my hands, my eyes dropping to meet Edward's again. I barely noticed when Emmett's hands moved away from mine, leaving me holding Edward's life quite literally in my hands. My heart had taken up residence in my throat and I couldn't swallow; I could barely breath past it. I couldn't get past the thought that the man I loved was dying because of me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I felt a hand come to rest on top of mine and looked down. Edward's big hand covered both of my bloody ones and the sight of it brought my sobs at full strength. His fingers squeezed my hands weakly as I pushed harder down on his chest. I dipped my head down, pressing a kiss to the back of Edward's hand before letting my forehead rest against it as I sobbed.

I don't know how long I sat like that, crying against Edward's hand as it covered mine while I tried to keep the blood in his body but eventually Emmett came back. He gently forced me away and replaced my hands with his bigger ones. I caught sight of the thick white towel he was using but my brain didn't register it as anything of importance.

I felt a soft touch on my cheek and opened eyes I hadn't even realized I had closed to see Edward looking up at me, his fingers brushing at my tears. I reached up and held his hand to my face, pressing a kiss into his palm.

"Are you okay?" I hadn't even realized the ringing in my ears had stopped until Edward's hoarse whisper reached me.

"You got shot because of me and you're asking if _I'm _okay?" My words were strained and unbelieving. He had no reason to be worried about me. This happened because of _me. _He should have been worrying about himself.

His head shook a little and a fierce look took hold of his bright eyes. "This is not your fault, Bella. Don't _ever _think that." I laced my fingers with his against my cheek as he pulled his hand away, bringing our twined fingers to his lips where he pressed a firm kiss to my palm, ignoring the blood that covered them. When he moved our hands back to my cheek, he was noticeably trembling. "I love you, Bella."

Just then I felt hands on my shoulders, pulling me away from Edward. I panicked, not wanting to let go, but firm hands separated us and moved me back. A broad back I didn't recognize took my place seconds before strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me to my feet. The same arms turned me around and I had to blink through my tears to recognize Emmett. I felt something cover my shoulders and looked down to see Emmett zipping up his jacket around my body, reminding me of my nakedness.

"Bella." That commanding tone was back but he still had to repeat my name several times before I was able to look up and focus on what he was saying. "Bella, I need you with me here. You have to focus."

I swallowed hard and nodded a few times. I glanced behind me and this was able to focus on the three letters stretched across the unfamiliar back that had taken up my place. EMT. Relief made my body weak and I leaned into Emmett for support. He wrapped me in a brief, firm hug before his hands returned to my shoulders and gave me a shake to get my attention.

"Listen to me, Bella. He's not okay yet." I went to look back over my shoulder but another shake settled my attention on Emmett. "Listen, okay? I need you to focus on your own for a little while. I've got to take care of Edward and I can't be in two places at once." The pain in his voice was clear now but he never lost that commanding tone. It struck a note within me, brought a strength to the surface I didn't know I had.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and nodded once. "I understand." I swallowed hard but another deep breath cleared my airways and shut off my tears. "I understand."

Emmett stared in my eyes for a few seconds, making sure I was serious, before he pressed a kiss to my forehead and left me to help to the EMTs'. I stayed where he left me, watching as they tried to save Edward's life. I couldn't see what exactly they were doing but that was probably for the best. I felt a presence at my back and turned around, taking an automatic step back when I saw James standing there.

"I'm sorry, Bella." He said, voice soft.

I frowned and took another step back, not wanting to be within arms' reach of him. "You brought me here. You enjoyed my pain. You think I really believe you're sorry? For anything?" My voice was barely above a whisper but he heard me well enough and shook his head, moving to the side so he could lean against the wall. I moved as well so that I was standing in front of him instead of beside him and had more room to back up without tripping over someone important.

"I don't expect you to believe anything I say. I just want you to hear me say it." I couldn't make out the expression on his face or the tone in his voice but then again, I didn't try very hard either.

"Just leave me alone. Leave us all alone. You've done enough damage." I turned my head to watch as the EMTs' moved Edward onto a backboard, his shirt hanging off his body in pieces where they had cut it to get to the wound.

"Emmett!" James yelled before making my heart nearly stop in my chest when he grabbed both my arms and yanked me towards him, turning us both in the process. I heard another gunshot but the echo in the hallway was so bad that I couldn't tell where it had come from. A second later James jerked against me and his eyes went wide.

Another gunshot sounded as James fell to his knees in front of me, just in time for me to see Sully fall back against the ground from where he'd been trying to sit up. I turned wide eyes to the side and saw Emmett still pointing a pistol down the hall before I looked back down to James. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he looked up at me. I had held his gaze until his eyes closed and he fell onto his back.

When I looked up again Emmett was standing beside me, gun down by his side. With a practiced move he bent down and put two fingers to James' throat. With a brief shake of his head he moved down the hall and did the same to Sully, kicking the gun Sully had used back down the hall towards me. When Emmett returned, the gun he'd been holding had disappeared. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me up the stairs. I hadn't even realized the EMTs' had already taken Edward away.

"Is he going to be okay?" The strength I had called upon to obey Emmett's earlier command had disappeared and my voice sounded like that of a child, asking if the monsters under the bed were gone.

Emmett looked down at me and sighed, tightening his hold around my shoulders and shaking his head. "I don't know, Bella. It doesn't -" He paused before shaking his head again. We reached the top of the stairs and turned towards the dining room. At the sight of the bodies scattered over the floor my knees went weak. Emmett caught me before I hit the ground and lifted me into his arms. I turned my face into his chest as tears once again leaked from my eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay for anyone who couldn't really stand to get through the last chapter, I wrote a less detailed version on posted it on my blog. Visit it here at nyterock [dot] blogspot [dot] com. Also, there's a play list for this story there, story and author recs, and whatever else hits my mind regarding fan fiction.**

**I'm leaving you guys hanging a little longer. We don't find out what happens to Edward in this chapter, instead we find out what really happened to get him clean. A little bit of a filler chapter but something I felt you guys needed to read to get a better look into Edward's head. It'll help you understand why he's so persistent in the next chapters. And beyond that, I can't say anymore without giving a lot of things away so you'll just have to wait and see.**

* * *

_**Five Years Earlier**_

**Edward POV**

"Edward!"

I groaned and rolled over, pulling the foul smelling piece of fabric that I was using as a blanket over my head. This didn't stop the angry, persistent voice in my head.

"Edward!" I felt a sharp jab in my lower back and reached an arm around behind me, fumbling in my efforts to discourage whatever was hitting me. "Get the fuck up you worthless piece of shit!"

I cracked my eyes open, squinting against the afternoon sun, when the familiarity of that voice sank into my coma-like haze. I hadn't heard that voice in almost two months, not since I'd told its owner to go jump off a bridge. And the voice was still talking while I was distracted by my own thoughts.

"…thirty seconds, Edward, I'm throwing you down the stairs."

I lifted my head up and looked at my cousin over my shoulder, eyes still squinting against the glare of the unwelcome sun. "The fuck do you want?" At least that's what I think I said. My tongue felt a little swollen and my brain was still swimming from the high I'd reached last night so I couldn't be sure what exactly came out of my mouth.

Emmett's face came into a blurry kind of focus before I gave up and just put my head back on the floor, wincing with the soft impact. Between the sun and the stirrings of the cravings that had taken over my life, I was developing a nice little headache. A fresh rush of whatever James had handy would clear that right up though. And that wonderful thought was motivation enough to get up and get moving.

I threw the blanket off of me and staggered to my feet, stumbling as I tried to put one foot in front of the other. I felt detached from my body as a strange sense of vertigo hit me, clearing after a few seconds but sticking around long enough to send me to my knees. I growled when a hand came down on my shoulder and jerked away, ending up laying on my side on the filthy floor.

"Damnit, Edward." Emmett sighed and leaned over me, grabbing both my arms above my elbows and pulling me to my feet. I tried to pull free but he was stronger then I was and struggling was making me dizzy. It occurred to me, somewhere in the back part of my brain that I hadn't listened to in years, that it had been almost three days since I'd eaten anything that wasn't powdered.

"Leggo!" I jerked my whole body in the opposite direction but succeeded only in yanking myself around; Emmett didn't even look like he was trying to hold me still.

"No! Not until you listen to me, asshole." I felt his grip tighten around my arms and watched a thought float through my brain that maybe this should be hurting. And then it did hurt, or my head did anyway. Emmett used his grip on my arms and shook me, violently enough to send my head reeling and the few contents in my stomach came up my throat. It was Emmett's quick reflexes more then any effort from me that kept him clean.

My knees hit the floor with a dull thud that bounced around in my head and brought on another wave of nausea, though now it was only dry heaving. When my stomach finally stopped convulsing I collapsed on the floor, ignoring the bile on the floor beside my head, and tried to go back to sleep. Maybe Emmett would be gone when I woke up and I could go find James and forget this whole space of time ever happened. The hand that gripped my arm said that wasn't going to happen.

"Come on, Edward." I was forcibly dragged to my feet, despite my best efforts to remain horizontal, and brought face to face with Emmett's angry expression. Both of them.

I narrowed my eyes until focus returned and there was only one Emmett standing in front of me. And thank God, too. One was more then enough right now. "Why?" I didn't remember what I was asking 'why' to but obviously that didn't matter.

"Because I said so, now get your ass moving unless you want me to carry you the whole way." He spun me around to face the door of the building I'd been staying in. Squatting in, actually, but who really notices the difference anymore? A sharp shove to my back propelled my feet forward, feet that I was actually steady on now that I was awake, and a few steps later we were standing in the bright sunlight outside. I squinted my eyes almost completely shut to shield out the offending sun but Emmett's grip on both my arms kept my from doing anything more then that.

"Can't see."

"Just get in the car." Emmett's angry voice reached my ears and I was shoved forward again until I ran into something large and solid. I managed to squint my eyes against the sun enough to notice I was leaning against an old beat up pile of metal that at some point had probably been a car. When I looked over, Emmett already had a door open and was working on stuffing me inside .

"I got it!" I growled, the itch in my system telling me if I went along with him, I'd just get my fix that much faster. It was fast becoming obvious I wasn't going to get it before then.

I dropped into the passenger seat with a grunt and shut my eyes completely against the glare of the sun while Emmett walked around to the front of the car. I turned to my door and started to open it, deciding to tell Emmett to go fuck himself and get my fix now, but the car was already moving and opening the door only gave me a severe case of motion sickness. Luckily for Emmett, I'd already emptied my stomach. Or unluckily, seeing as how I was wishing very hard to ruin his already shitty interior.

"Mother fucker." When my dry heaves stopped I got the idea that Emmett wasn't as straight edge as he seemed and he probably had some fix of his own lying around. I just had to find it and take it for myself. With that persistent itch urging me on, I started digging through the glove compartment, looking under the seat, and checking all the pockets and cubbyholes I could find.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Emmett asked as the car slowed to a stop.

"I need something. I know you have it. Where is it?" I turned and started rummaging around in the backseat. He had to have something. He had to.

A hand on my shoulder spun me back around and I growled at him, trying to shove his hand away. I had to find whatever he had!

"Would you look at yourself?" Emmett growled, tightening his grip on my shoulder and leaning over my body to shove my door open, throwing me out of the car shortly after. While I was still trying to figure out which way was up and what motor functions were needed to get off my ass, he came around the front of the car and slammed my door closed. "You're a fucking mess!"

My hand moved over a rock and I threw it at him. "What the fuck do you care? I thought you were going to jump in the river anyway!" I couldn't tell if I was whispering or screaming. The itch, the fucking need!, was just getting stronger, digging its claws in deep and shaking me around to hold my attention.

Emmett wrapped his fingers in the front of my shirt and yanked me to my feet. I glared at him and tried to pry his fingers loose. "Go fuck yourself, Emmett. I don't need your shit."

Emmett just growled and turned, dragging me along behind him. I somehow managed to keep my feet under me but only until Emmett himself threw me to the ground. I rolled into something cold and just as solid as the car, if not a bit smaller. When my head stopped spinning I looked up to see what had stopped me, taking in the curving concrete tombstone for almost a full minute before I realized what it was. _Who _it was. When I did, I got my feet under me faster then I would have thought myself capable of and started walking back to the car.

Emmett stepped in front of my and physically blocked my retreat. "Don't you fucking walk away again, Edward." His voice was low, barely audible, and full of threat. Among other things.

I just glared over his shoulder, not wanting to look at him any more then I wanted to look at what was behind me, cravings momentarily forgotten. "Fuck you, Emmett."

Faster then I could follow, Emmett's hands landed on my chest and shot me back on my ass, leaving me gasping for breath and unable to prevent my head from cracking against the tombstone. When I caught my breath and opened my eyes again, I saw Emmett standing over me, fists clenched at his sides, a murderous expression on his face. I felt the tiniest hint of fear before my cravings overcame my senses and told me I needed to get up and get moving, replacing that fear with anger.

"No, Edward. Fuck you." He took a slow, deep breath and just when I opened my mouth with a comeback, he spoke again. "I've watched you destroy yourself for long enough. It's time you get your act together and get the fuck away from James."

"What the fuck do you care?" I asked again, not remembering if I'd gotten an answer last time or not and not caring. I needed to find James and hope he had something good to erase this whole day from my memory.

While I was distracted by thoughts of a wonderful afternoon spent up in the clouds, Emmett had grabbed my arms and turned me to face the tombstone, the force of his grip keeping me on my knees. "I care because I promised your brother I'd protect you." His low words brushed past my ear as my eyes found the name engraved on the tombstone. The tombstone I had had to put up to remember a man that no one else had cared about.

_**Marcus Alexander Cullen**_

_**Beloved Brother, Fearless Protector**_

_**1982-2002**_

My chest expanded with the breath I took and my throat closed up. Emmett just kept talking. "He gave his life to protect you, to try and save you from this life." The fingers gripping my shoulders tightened but I barely noticed, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. "And you took his sacrifice and threw it in the dirt." I was shaking my head now, unable to look at my brothers' tombstone any longer, my eyes focused on the clean cut grass under my knees.

"He loved you, he died for you, and this is how you repay him?" Emmett's voice was rising until he all but shouted the last word at me.

I whirled on my knees, catching myself before I fell over, and got to my feet to face Emmett. "No! This has nothing to do with him!"

Emmett stepped forward and got right in my face, matching my shouted words in volume but filling his words with more conviction then I had. "Bullshit! This has everything to do with him! James fucking killed Marcus and instead of taking the bastard down, you let him get away with it! You let him get away with everything, Edward!" Another step forward and I couldn't focus on Emmett's face, his breath washing over my face, the smell of mint seeming to clear my head a little. "He _murdered _your brother and instead of killing him you gave him your fucking soul!"

My head was shaking back and forth even as the truth of his words sunk through the drug haze coating my brain. "No. I haven't… I didn't…"

"You haven't avenged him," Emmett finished. "And you didn't do anything to stop James from taking control of the last of the Cullen men." A sneer crossed his face. "Never mind. The last Cullen man died two years ago. You're nothing but a pathetic child now, Edward."

I squeezed my eyes shut as those words shot straight through my heart and tears fell unrestrained down my cheeks. My legs collapsed beneath me and I ended up back on my knees at Emmett's feet, my tears falling on his boots and the grass beneath me. Before I could even hope to control myself, sobs were wracking my body and echoing in the quiet cemetery, misery and grief tightening my entire chest while my heart was slowly ripped into a thousand tiny pieces.

I don't know how long I sat there, hunched over myself, sobbing my broken heart out at the feet of the only family I had left, the family I had alienated and hurt and didn't deserve. My cries quieted only because my throat was too raw to produce any sound but still my tears fell. I needed to fix this, I needed to be the man my brother wanted, though I could never hope to be the man my brother was. And that thought brought a fresh wave of sorrow at what I had lost, what I had thrown away, and what I had deemed worthless: the sacrifice of a brother so that another could survive and thrive. And I had done neither.

Emmett stepped back and knelt in front of me, putting a hand on the back of my neck, his grip meant to be supportive now where all others had been forceful and harsh. "You need to get clean, Edward."

Another silent sob as I looked up and met his sympathetic gaze. "I don't know if I can," I whispered, my throat too raw to do much more.

"You have to." Emmett's voice was hard and demanding but not unkind. He wasn't going to let me get away easy anymore. And I couldn't have more grateful or more terrified. "Think of what Marcus would do if he saw you like this, Edward." I dropped my head again, closing my eyes against a fresh wave of tears. "He'd be so angry with you. But more than that," he paused, waiting for me to look up. When I did, he continued. "More than that, he'd be so disappointed."

And that, more than anything, was what I needed to hear. That single sentence was the foundation I needed to build on, the seed of determination planted in my soul that I would need to get through this.

I turned away from Emmett and faced the tombstone that was the last reminder of a brother I had loved more than anything else. My fingers touched the cold concrete, tracing the letters engraved on its face as the last of my tears fell down my face before drying up.

"I'm so sorry, Marcus. God, how I am sorry." I pressed my forehead against the stone and hoped like hell he could hear me. "I'm done with it. I'm going to get clean. I'll make you proud of me, I swear I will." I swallowed past the lump in my throat and lifted my head, looking up towards the heavens where I knew my brother was now watching over me. "I'm going to need your help, big brother. Please don't have given up on me yet."

I felt a single drop of water land right in the center of my forehead seconds before another landed on my cheek, then my nose, my chin. With each drop of water, I remembered how Marcus used to kiss my fears away when I was almost too young to remember. First on my forehead, then on my cheek, then my nose, and finally my chin. It was always enough to make me laugh, the childish giggle that is full of innocence and the belief that one person can make the monsters under the bed go away. As the rain started to really fall, I knew that my brother had forgiven my mistakes and was standing beside me. And with him at my side, I could do anything.

---------

My determination to get clean was tested almost as soon as we reached the car. The itch was back, the craving trying to overtake my senses again. I fumbled with the passenger door and collapsed into the seat, crossing my arms over my stomach as I started a fight that I knew was going to take every ounce of strength I had and more.

Emmett's hand came to rest on the back of my neck again, fingers kneading the tense muscles there. I shivered as a particularly strong craving ripped through me and it was all I could do not to beg Emmett to take me to James just so I could function past the cravings. Instead, I put my forehead against my knees and spoke. "Take me to the police station."

Emmett's fingers stopped their gentle kneading before he spoke, his voice strong though his words were unsure. "Are you sure?"

I nodded against my knees and without another word the car started and we were moving again. I closed my eyes tight and didn't move the whole trip, not even opening my eyes until I heard the engine shut off. Then I lifted my head and opened the door, continuing the movement until I was standing and walking toward the glass doors of the police station. If I stopped, even for a second, I'd change my mind and start running. It would be so much easier to just admit I couldn't do this but the thought of my brother kept me going. It got me through those doors and carried me to the small desk that was manned by a single officer who took one look at me and narrowed his eyes, recognizing the signs of an addict but failing to notice the determination and guilt that was going to prove him wrong in the assumptions he was already making.

"I need to talk to someone in the drug unit." My throat was still sore and each word hurt coming out so I couldn't be sure the unfriendly officer had even heard me.

"You need to leave before I have you arrested, son." The cops' voice matched the sneer on his face. Before I could open my mouth and even begin to think of a response, Emmett's voice was there.

"And you need to get someone from the drug unit down here, like my friend here asked you to." The force that was Emmett McCarty stepped up beside me as I wrapped my arms back around my middle. "Or maybe you'd like you explain to your superiors why you let the best lead you have on the drug lord running this town walk out the door."

The officer behind the desk looked between me and Emmett a half a dozen times before clenching his jaw and picking up the phone. "Yeah, tell Detective Shepherd he's got a visitor." He hung up the phone and gestured towards a handful of very uncomfortable looking plastic chairs. Emmett took a seat without another word but I was too anxious to sit still so I just stayed standing, pacing back and forth in front of Emmett.

"Calm down, Edward. You're giving me motion sickness." I didn't even pause in my pacing to give him a glare whose effect was diluted by the nervous chewing on my fingernails I was doing.

It felt like hours had passed before a tall, well dressed man walked through a set of double doors marked _No Entry. _My eyes followed him as he walked to the desk and spoke to the officer behind it. The officer pointed at Emmett and myself and the detective nodded before walking over to us.

"I have information on James Holland."

The detective just stared at me for a few seconds, his mouth open in what was probably going to be some kind of introduction. He studied me for a handful of minutes, taking in every aspect of my appearance before giving Emmett the same treatment. It was another eternity before he finally nodded and gestured for us to follow him, turning on his heel and heading back towards the doors he'd come out of.

The detective led us through a large room that was divided into cubicles and through a door at the back of the sea of cubicles. We went down a single flight of stairs and into a hallway that was as plain as you could get. A handful of doors were scattered down each side and it was through one of these doors that we went. A single table was the only furniture in the room and a small window was nestled into a side wall. An interrogation room. Not a big surprise, really.

I jumped when the detective shut the door before turning and gesturing for me and Emmett to have a seat. After a bit of nervous twitching, and a piercing glare from Emmett, I took a seat, clenching my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking. The detective took a seat across from us and pulled a notebook and a pen from somewhere in his suit jacket.

I watched as the recorder was placed on the table in between the detective and myself, my eyes focusing on that to keep my mind off what I was about to do. I was about to sign my own death warrant and if James ever found out, it would not be an easy death. The thought terrified me and I had almost made the decision that it wasn't worth it when Emmett dropped his hand onto my shaking hands.

"You can do this, Edward." I looked up to meet his eyes and took strength from his support. I was going to need it. "You _have _to do this."

I took a deep, fortifying breath and nodded, returning my attention to the detective across from me. Seeing his cue, he sat forward, opening his notebook to a fresh page. "My name is Detective Shepherd. I gather your name is Edward?" The detectives' voice was kind, not at all what I was expecting. Then again, I was expecting everyone's attitude to match the officers' at the front desk.

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Edward Cullen."

Detective Shepherd glanced over at Emmett questioningly. "I'm Emmett McCarty. Edward's cousin." The detective nodded and wrote something in his notebook before returning his attention to me.

"What can you tell me about Mr. Holland, Edward?"

I shuddered as I tried to fight off another craving. Emmett's fingers curled around my tightly clenched hands and I had to force myself past the desire to make a run for it. I lifted my head and met the detectives' eyes, feeling my resolve harden as I opened my mouth and sealed my fate. "Everything."

--------------

We spent the rest of the night in that interrogation room, answering questions and supplying information that just brought more questions. More then once Emmett had to physically restrain me from trying to leave and by the time the interrogation was over, my entire body was shaking so badly I could barely keep my seat. But I had told him everything.

I started with the first time Emmett and I had overheard James and my brother talking. I described in detail that first job and how furious my brother had been. I told Detective Shepherd enough about the beating Marcus gave James that he was wincing just from the thought of it. I told him how after that night, Marcus and I ran together, how he protected me from the bigger fish who would've taken advantage of my youth and my ignorance of how things really worked.

When I got to the part about Marcus' death, I had to take a few moments to get myself together. Even then, I was crying before I finished telling Detective Shepherd how I knew James had had Marcus killed, how the cops refused to look into it, how my brother was pushed into a file somewhere and forgotten, treated as less then a human being when he'd been murdered. The sympathy in the detectives' eyes brought my tears harder and it was almost ten minutes before I could keep going.

After that, I told him of all my own sins. After I'd gone to work for James, after he'd promised me everything and given it to me, for a price, I'd done things I could barely bring myself to admit to. To please James and get that next hit I'd become a liar, a thief and, at one point that had me shaking to confess, a murderer. A rival drug dealer that was giving James a lot of competition. And James made sure the blood was, quite literally, on my hands.

By the time I had told Detective Shepherd everything, just as I'd promised, Emmett was holding my hand and I was crying, not at all caring how weak either action made me look. I had just confessed my crimes and my sins to someone I didn't know and I could only hope that when they threw me behind bars, they reopened my brothers' case and put James where he belonged.

Detective Shepherd excused himself when I was finished and left the room. He was gone for almost an hour, long enough for me to get my emotions under control but too long for my focus to stay intact. My body was needing a fix so bad I wanted to scream. It was really sinking in how badly James had gotten me when I was forced to realize I couldn't even go a full twenty-four hours without beginning to suffer from withdrawal. It made me wonder how much longer I could have gone before I overdosed.

By the time the detective returned, I was snapping at Emmett and cursing him for coming to me that day. After all it was his fault I was having to do this. Seconds after Detective Shepherd sat back down, I turned to Emmett and offered a teary apology. I didn't mean it, I just needed a hit so badly it was affecting my moods and my verbal filter. Emmett brushed off my apology and informed me that he had long since learned when to ignore me.

We turned back to the detective and I steeled myself for the news that I'd be spending the rest of my natural life behind bars. What he said instead stunned me into a silence so complete, even my drug craving body stilled. A chance to have my sins forgiven, my crimes forgotten, and my brother avenged. A chance I couldn't turn down.

The next few hours were spent arranging my paperwork so I could go to the drug rehabilitation center under an assumed name. James couldn't know I was getting clean, he couldn't figure out that I was getting help. And he especially couldn't know I was going to be the reason he would be paying for everything he'd ever done. But, so help me God, I would make sure he paid in full.

* * *

**A little intense but not as intense as last chapter. Next chapter won't be as hard to swallow as these last two, I promise.**


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